White House initiates evaluation of Smithsonian museum displays, intending to align them with Trump's perspective on American heritage.
On July 31, the White House announced a review of the Smithsonian Institution's museum exhibitions, materials, and operations. This review, scheduled ahead of America's 250th anniversary next year, aims to ensure the museums align with President Donald Trump's view of American history.
The letter states that the White House wants the museums to reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story. The review proposes several specific changes, including an evaluation of how existing materials and collections can be used to highlight American achievement and progress.
The White House team has requested exhibition plans and programmes, digital files of wall text and labels, touring exhibition schedules, and internal guidelines and governance documents from the Smithsonian museums. The team also considers whether the Smithsonian can enhance the use of certain materials by digitizing them or conveying them to other institutions. Furthermore, the development of consistent curatorial guidelines that reflect the Smithsonian’s original mission is a key part of the review.
Meanwhile, a separate developing story is unfolding. On August 10, a tragic incident occurred on a trail outdoors. The victims, a husband and wife, were stabbed to death. The police are investigating the incident, and the details of the motive are not yet clear. The wife brought their children to safety before the incident.
In a related development, the Supreme Court has been formally asked to overturn a landmark same-sex marriage ruling. This fact is not directly related to the museum review but is the main focus of the article.
The White House has not commented on the connection between the museum review and the incident on the trail. Further updates on both developing stories are expected.
[1] This reference is a footnote that could be added to provide context and further information about the concerns from the White House about current portrayals of history that emphasize negative aspects such as slavery.
The White House's review of the Smithsonian Institution's museum exhibitions focuses on ensuring alignment with President Donald Trump's view of American history, and proposes changes to reflect unity, progress, and enduring values. The team responsible for the review is evaluating existing materials and collections to highlight American achievement and progress, and is considering the digitization of certain materials or their transfer to other institutions. Additionally, the development of consistent curatorial guidelines that reflect the Smithsonian’s original mission is a key part of the review.
