The White House has initiated an extensive review of the Smithsonian museums and their exhibitions in preparation for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States. The aim is to align the institution’s content with President Donald Trump’s interpretation of U.S. history.
This initiative was outlined in a letter sent to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, detailing steps the White House expects to be taken to ensure the museum content aligns with a focus on ‘Americanism.’
According to the letter, the federal government will evaluate public-facing museum content, which includes social media, exhibition texts, and educational materials. The review will assess the tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals.
The initiative aims to support the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore trust in shared cultural institutions, as stated in the letter.
Responding to the letter, the Smithsonian expressed its commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate presentation of history. It noted that it is reviewing the letter while maintaining this commitment and plans to continue working constructively with the White House, Congress, and its governing Board of Regents.
The White House’s review follows the Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History Executive Order signed by Trump in March. However, this action has drawn criticism. The Congressional Black Caucus characterized the Trump administration’s efforts as an attempt to ‘whitewash our nation’s history.’
In their statement, the caucus expressed that President Trump’s notion that the National Museum of African American History and Culture distorts the country’s history is ‘patently ridiculous.’ They emphasized that Black history is integral to American history, asserting that rhetoric opposing this view is not only factually incorrect but also blatantly racist.
The caucus stated, ‘It is the Trump Administration that bans books, words, and phrases that do not fit their narrative’ and added that attempts to reshape history are a direct threat to historical accuracy and integrity.
The White House indicated the review will focus on several museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
All of these museums are located in Washington, DC, where the president has also instructed the deployment of the U.S. National Guard to address a purported crime wave in the capital, a claim that local officials have disputed.
These museums provide free admission and receive millions of visitors annually, with the National Museum of American History recording 2 million in-person visits just in 2024 alone.
The Smithsonian has previously denied altering or removing exhibit details due to pressure from the Trump administration. Recently, a placard referencing Trump’s two impeachments was removed from a presidential exhibit. The institution clarified that the removal was related to consistency issues and to improve visibility of the items inside the display case, rather than being a directive from any administration.
The Smithsonian further stated that the impeachment section of the museum would be updated soon to ‘reflect all impeachment proceedings’ in U.S. history.
Overall, the forthcoming review of the Smithsonian museums has ignited a spirited debate about historical representation in American culture and the role of governmental influence in shaping public narratives.
image source from：aljazeera
