Donald Trump has launched a significant campaign against the Smithsonian, labeling them as ‘woke’ and ‘out of control’.
Since his return to the presidency for his second term, Trump has been vocal about how he believes the United States should be represented.
On March 27, he authorized an executive order to ‘restore truth and sanity to American history’, which aimed to ‘restore Federal parks, monuments, memorials, statues, markers’ and ensure the Smithsonian highlights American history and ‘greatness’. Yet, it appears he isn’t finished with the institution.
Just recently, Trump initiated an internal review of various exhibits across the nation, five months after taking charge of the museum group’s communications.
In a recent message on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the focus on darker chapters of the US’s history, such as slavery.
“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,'” he began his speech. “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.
“We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made.
“This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.”
The White House’s review is concentrating on eight specific museums, such as the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, the National Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as reported by ABC News.
A letter sent to the institution’s secretary, Lonnie Bunch, this month, outlined that the purpose of the review – encompassing internal communications, visitor surveys, content, and external partnerships – is to ensure that exhibits ‘celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.’
In his executive order, Trump accused the Smithsonian Institution of being influenced by ‘a divisive, race-centered ideology’, which he claimed ‘has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive’.
“Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history,” the order states.
The letter to the institution asserts that the initiative aims to ‘ensure alignment with the president’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions’.
In response, the Smithsonian emphasized in its reply that its ‘work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history’.
The institution also noted that it is ‘reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents’.
The Smithsonian Institute has been contacted for comment.