Smithsonian Updates Exhibit on Presidential Power
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, recently removed references to President Donald Trump’s impeachment from its “Limitations of Presidential Power” exhibition. This month, the museum reverted some of its displays back to previous versions, eliminating mentions of Trump while keeping references to others, like Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, who also faced impeachment. Additionally, Richard Nixon’s resignation post-Watergate remains part of the narrative.
Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives—once in December 2019 and again in January 2021—but he was acquitted both times by the Senate. Ultimately, there wasn’t enough support to remove him from office.
In September 2021, there was a temporary installation that included the impeachment pieces related to Trump, but the Smithsonian recently reassessed this content. A spokesperson indicated that referencing Trump’s impeachment was a short-term decision that reflected ongoing events at the time.
“In reviewing recent legacy content, it has become clear that the ‘Limitations of Presidential Power’ section needs addressing,” the spokesperson noted. “As various topics in this exhibition haven’t been updated since 2008, we decided to return the impeachment references to their 2008 form.”
The exhibition currently states that “only three presidents have seriously faced removal.” Yet, a recent article in the Washington Post suggested that the decision to remove Trump-related content will be temporary until all sections can be updated consistently.
“Future and updated exhibitions will include all impeachment cases,” read the statement from the Smithsonian.
Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at, as he stated, “bringing back truth and sanity to American history.” This order also outlined prohibitions against funding exhibitions that undermine shared American values, or that promote ideologies clashing with federal law. Within this context, it also discouraged recognition of “men as women” and encouraged unity among Americans.
“We fully support updating our displays to highlight America’s greatness,” said White House spokesman Davis Ingle. “The Trump administration will continue efforts to ensure the Smithsonian eliminates inappropriate ideologies while fostering national pride in our rich history.”
