Museums to Submit Blueprints for Trump Administration Displays
The U.S. government is conducting a review of exhibitions in several renowned museums, including those operated by the Smithsonian Institution, to ensure they do not contain divisive or partisan narratives. This initiative aims to highlight historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America's heritage, particularly as the country approaches its 250th anniversary.
The review was prompted by concerns expressed by President Donald Trump, who criticized museums for promoting narratives that disparage the U.S. rather than celebrating its achievements. The government’s review will examine public-facing content, curatorial processes, exhibition planning, collection use, and narrative standards to align exhibitions with a vision that emphasizes success, brightness, and the future of the nation.
Museums in Washington are required to submit concept designs, exhibition plans, catalogs, and programs of all current exhibitions to the presidential administration of Donald Trump. Exhibition texts, wall labels, websites, and educational materials are to be examined for tone, historical context, and alignment with American ideals.
The review will assess exhibition texts, educational materials, digital content, and the use of collections to better reflect American progress and achievement. It also includes interviews with curators and a focus on upcoming exhibitions related to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The review is not a new development; it was initiated in the spring under the administration of Donald Trump. The White House wants to check if "divisive or biased" narratives are being spread in the museum exhibitions. Trump has claimed that in the past decade, there have been "concerted and widespread attempts to rewrite the history of our country and replace facts with a distorted narrative driven more by ideology than truth."
This is not the first time Trump has criticized museums. He has been accused of initiating a culture war and restricting artistic freedom or free expression of opinion. The Smithsonian Institution, which operates several museums, especially in Washington, is under review.
The review covers 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 complex Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Some documents must be submitted within 30 days.
Under Trump’s predecessors, museums did not typically face interventions from presidents, but this has changed with the power shift in Washington. The review is part of a larger initiative to ensure that museum exhibitions align with American ideals, focusing on the portrayal of freedom, individual rights, and the happiness of people.
- The government's policy-and-legislation initiative, which includes examining museum exhibitions, is aimed at ensuring they adhere to a vision that emphasizes the success, brightness, and future of the nation, as prompted by President Donald Trump's concerns about divisive or biased narratives.
- The review of museum exhibitions, encompassing the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, and others, under the Trump administration, is not just about checking for divisive narratives, but also a larger politics effort to align museum portrayals with American ideals, focusing on freedom, individual rights, and the happiness of people.
