Donald Trump has prompted the Smithsonian Museum to reassess its displays and functions to better reflect his interpretation of American history.
According to The Wall Street Journal on August 12, the White House has reportedly urged the institution to reevaluate its exhibitions. A letter was sent by White House officials to Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch.
This action follows an executive order issued on March 27, titled ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History’.
“Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive,” the order stated.
The recent communication purportedly provides suggestions on how the Smithsonian can accomplish these objectives. It includes replacing ‘divisive or ideologically driven’ content with ‘unifying, historically accurate’ language, with a report to be finalized within 30 days before any changes are implemented.
Regarding the White House’s motivation for urging these changes, White House senior associate Lindsay Halligan signed the letter stating: “This is about preserving trust in one of our most cherished institutions.”
The letter further noted: “The Smithsonian museums and exhibits should be accurate, patriotic, and enlightening—ensuring they remain places of learning, wonder, and national pride for generations to come.”
Nonetheless, the Smithsonian responded by emphasizing that its ‘work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history.’
They highlighted that they are ‘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’.
Trump’s administration has faced accusations of attempting to alter history at the Smithsonian. On July 31, the Washington Post reported changes to an exhibit at the National Museum of American History titled ‘The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden’.
Since 2021, this exhibit included a label about Trump’s two impeachments and a note for visitors stating, ‘Case under redesign (history happens)’.
However, the Post revealed that the label was removed in July as part of a content review that the Smithsonian agreed to undertake after pressure from the White House to remove an art museum director.
A Smithsonian spokesperson explained that the label was originally intended as ‘a short-term addition to address current events’.
“In reviewing our legacy content recently, it became clear that the ‘Limits of Presidential Power’ section in ‘The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden’ exhibition needed to be addressed,” the spokesperson commented.
Following these developments, a CNN analyst faced accusations of ‘historical revisionism’ by Ritchie Torres after defending Trump’s review.
“He’s not whitewashing slavery, and you cannot tie Imperialism and racism and slavery to just one race, which is pretty much what every single exhibit does,” Jilian Michaels remarked to CNN host Abby Phillip on Wednesday (August 13).
When Michaels stated that slavery is ‘thousands of years old,’ Torres countered with: “This is extraordinary historical revisionism.”
The situation has sparked significant debate.