US EditionWhite House Launches Smithsonian Review to Enforce Trump's Historical Narrative
- On August 1, 2025, the White House ordered a comprehensive review of eight Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., including the National Museum of American History.
- This review follows President Donald Trump's March executive order accusing the Smithsonian of promoting a divisive, race-centered ideology and directing it to align exhibits with American exceptionalism.
- The review focuses on public-facing content, curatorial practices, current and future exhibits, and calls for removing divisive language while restoring confidence in cultural institutions ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.
- A temporary placard referencing Trump's two impeachments was removed last month from an exhibit but reinstalled days ago with changes; Smithsonian denies yielding to government pressure and commits to factual, unbiased history.
- Civil rights advocates have expressed concern that the administration’s focus on the National Museum dedicated to Black heritage may downplay the significant contributions of Black Americans and alter the portrayal of the challenges they encountered throughout history.
292 Articles
292 Articles
Elwood Watson: Whitewashing history, one museum exhibit at a time
Slavery is the latest issue that has drawn Trump’s ire. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump ranted in a social media post. “This […]
Richard Bammer: Will Trump’s ‘mission creep’ affect the Smithsonian?
Editor’s note: Richard Bammer’s column is in the Sunday print edition of the Reporter. President Trump’s push for a review of the Smithsonian museums is troubling because it smells like he is intent on whitewashing history. As widely reported, the White House this summer sent a letter to Lonnie Bunch, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, declaring the Trump administration’s intention to review all plans for next year’s 250th anniversary of …
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