Plans for Trump administration displays at museums will be handed in
The Trump Administration has initiated a comprehensive internal review of selected Smithsonian museums and exhibitions, aiming to ensure they align with the administration's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in shared cultural institutions [1][2].
The review, which is part of Executive Order 14253, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, was formalized in a letter dated August 12, 2025, addressed to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III [2]. The White House has criticized Smithsonian exhibitions for focusing heavily on "how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was," and for lacking content about American success and brightness [1].
The investigation will cover exhibition texts, wall labels, websites, and educational materials across the Smithsonian Institution, which operates numerous museums, especially in Washington [1][2]. Specifically, public criticism and the letter mention reviews of exhibitions within the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which have been referred to as places where narratives are considered "divisive" or "partisan" [1][2].
Historians and scholars have reacted negatively, calling the review an "appalling" White House directive that risks politicizing historical scholarship [1]. 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 of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden are now subject to the investigation [1].
Trump claimed that there had been "coordinated and widespread attempts in the last decade to rewrite the history of our country and replace facts with a distorted narrative driven more by ideology than truth" [1]. Some documents must be submitted within 30 days [1]. The White House wants to ensure that there are no "divisive or biased" narratives being spread in museum exhibitions [1].
This is not the first time Donald Trump has criticized museums. However, the renowned Smithsonian Institution was named as an example even at that time [1]. The review comes ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary, as the Trump Administration seeks to present a unified vision of American exceptionalism [2].
[1] The New York Times, "Trump Administration Orders Review of Smithsonian Museum Exhibitions," August 13, 2025. [2] CNN, "Trump Administration Launches Review of Smithsonian Museums," August 13, 2025.
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