Smithsonian exhibits are to align with Trump's perspective of history according to an official at the White House.
White House Initiates Review of Smithsonian Museums Ahead of America's 250th Anniversary
The Smithsonian Institution is set to undergo a comprehensive review of its museum exhibitions, materials, and operations, as announced by the White House. This review, which is taking place ahead of America's 250th anniversary next year, is in accordance with a March executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History."
The review aims to ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, while also focusing on the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story. The Smithsonian Institution has committed to collaborating constructively with the White House, Congress, and its governing Board of Regents.
The review will focus on eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of the American Indian. The White House sent a letter to Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, regarding the review.
The White House review proposes a series of specific changes aimed at removing what it characterizes as "divisive or ideologically driven language" from exhibits and public materials. This includes revising placards, wall texts, digital displays, and guided tour content to replace such language with wording that emphasizes historically accurate, unifying, and constructive descriptions centered on a vision of "Americanism"—focusing on the people, principles, and progress defining the nation.
Key proposed changes and their timeline include:
- Documentation submission: Within 75 days, museums must provide requested materials such as promotional literature, grant data, educational aids, and guided tour scripts.
- Interviews with staff: The White House intends to conduct voluntary interviews with curators and senior staff to understand each museum’s goals and curatorial vision.
- Commemoration coordination: Museums are required to finalize plans for America’s 250th anniversary events, aligning messaging with the White House task force.
- Content corrections: Within 120 days, museums should begin revising exhibit content to remove ideological or divisive framing and ensure historical accuracy with unifying language.
Critics of the review argue that it could lead to revisions or removals of content related to social justice, diversity, and inclusion topics, potentially altering the breadth and depth of historical representation in exhibitions. However, the White House emphasizes this process as collaborative, framing it as a way to renew the Smithsonian’s role by focusing on a broad and positive American story.
The effects of the changes are expected to impact the curatorial process by introducing additional oversight, shifting exhibit narratives to exclude certain ideological perspectives, and aligning museum content with nationalistic themes prioritized by the administration. It remains to be seen how the Smithsonian Institution will navigate this review while maintaining its commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history.
The White House review, in accordance with policy-and-legislation stated in the March executive order, aims to intensify politics surrounding the Smithsonian Institution's museum exhibitions, materials, and operations, focusing on specific changes to promote a unifying vision of Americanism. This review, part of the general-news following the White House's decision to initiate a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian Museums, includes revisions to exhibit content, interviews with curators, and collaboration with the White House, Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution's governing Board of Regents.
