Summary
- The Trump administration reviews Smithsonian museums
heavily. - White House document critiques negative history
portrayals. - Museums seen as showing overly critical US history.
- Focus on altering cultural institution narratives.
Based on public submissions given to the
administration, the document highlights what it claims are problematic exhibits
at seven different museums, such as a film about George Floyd’s murder that it
claims misrepresents the police and an exhibit on Benjamin Franklin that
connects his scientific accomplishments to his ownership of slaves.
“President Trump will explore all options and
avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable,”
a
White House official said.
“Until we get info from the Smithsonian in response
to our letter, we can’t verify the numbers of artifacts that have been removed
because the Smithsonian has removed them on their own.”
Trump announced the initiative on Truth Social
earlier this week, writing: \
“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.”
The National Museum of American History,
National Museum of the American Latino, National Museum of Natural History,
National Museum of African Art, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian American
Art Museum, and National Museum of Asian Art are the seven museums that have
been flagged for review thus far.
According to the administration, these
institutions’ displays overemphasize oppression over American accomplishments.
The ¡Presente! Latino history display at the National Museum of American
History was cited in the document for supposedly advancing a “anti-American
agenda” by analyzing the repercussions of colonization and portraying the US as
seizing land from Mexico in 1848.
The museum’s exhibit on Benjamin Franklin is
also shamed by examples from the paper that connect his scientific
accomplishments to his ownership of slaves.
The National Portrait Gallery is being singled
out for emphasizing how the Statue of Liberty’s welcoming message was
undermined by the Chinese Exclusion Act and other racist immigration regulations.
The George Floyd movie is the reason for the attack on the African art gallery.
Additionally, the Asian Art Museum’s displays are marked for allegedly imposing
western gender ideology on indigenous cultures.
Last week, the White House budget director, Russ
Vought, sent letters to eight institutions demanding information about displays
within 30 days and asking administrators to conduct “content corrections”
including replacing “divisive” text.
The inquiry comes after similar pressure from
the Trump administration forced universities to rescind their diversity
initiatives and pay hundreds of millions to the government.
In addition, the Smithsonian has already altered
displays that address Trump. In July, they eliminated any reference to his impeachments
from a presidential power exhibition at the American History Museum, leaving
only general mentions of three presidents who might be removed from office.
Requests for response were not immediately
answered by the Smithsonian Institution.
How does Trump plan to enforce his ‘woke’
content removal at museums?
Trump has instructed his legal team to conduct
thorough reviews of museum exhibits, public-facing content, curatorial
processes, and planned future exhibitions to identify and remove what he
considers “woke” or politically divisive narratives.
The Smithsonian Institution and other federally
funded museums risk losing federal funding if they do not comply with
directives to eliminate undesirable content. This funding leverage is a significant
tool in enforcing changes.
The White House has initiated an internal review
of eight Smithsonian museums, requesting detailed information about exhibits,
especially those related to America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, and requiring
documentation related to divisive or partisan narratives.
