Trump PAC funding Smithsonian presidential portraits

Former President Trump’s Save America PAC is helping finance the presidential portraits of Trump and former first lady Melania Trump, according to the Smithsonian Institution. 

Linda St. Thomas, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian, confirmed to The Hill that $650,000, which a federal expense filing describes as a “charitable contribution,” would be going toward financing the artists’ fees, installation, shipping, events and framing of the two portraits.

She said that the contribution was made on July 14 as a wire transfer, noting that a political action committee has not previously helped finance a presidential portrait. 

She added that a separate private donation of $100,000 would also be going toward the portraits. 

Insider was the first to report on the nature of the political action committee’s contribution. 

“Two artists have been commissioned one for each portrait. The names will be released closer to the reveal of the paintings,” St. Thomas said in an email, adding that the timing of when the portraits would be revealed had not been finalized.