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.