Over 70 House Democrats have urged the Smithsonian’s inspectors to look into President Trump’s executive order that targets the Smithsonian Museum.
A total of 71 Democrats, spearheaded by Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts and Paul Tonko from New York, have expressed their discontent with Trump’s executive order issued on March 27.
In a letter sent on Thursday, the Democrats pointed out that Smithsonian Inspector General Nicole L. Angelella mentioned that Trump’s directives “serve to undermine the independence of the Smithsonian facility and hinder efforts to build a common future for Americans and the global community.”
Consequently, they’re requesting Angelella’s office to “assess the implications of executing” this executive order on the Smithsonian Association’s “nonpartisan mission and operational integrity as a symbol of history and culture.”
They encouraged Angelella to “fully engage the watchdogs to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity of Smithsonian operations.”
In response, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the matter as “another trivial endeavor by the radical left who are unable to accept President Trump’s efforts to restore order to our system.”
The inspector’s office chose not to provide comments on this issue.
In their March executive order, the administration contended that Washington’s museums should “serve as spaces for learning, rather than being platforms for indoctrination or polarized narratives that misrepresent our shared history.”
They referred to an exhibit at the American Museum of Art titled “Race and American Sculpture Tales” and statements from the Museum of African American History and Culture, which suggested that concepts like individualism, hard work, and the “nuclear family” are aspects of “white culture.”
The Smithsonian was established by Congress in 1846 to enhance the “diffusion of knowledge.”
The House Democrats argued that adhering to the administration’s demands threatens the very rationale behind the establishment of these museums.
The administration is currently facing numerous lawsuits from advocacy groups challenging the president’s initiatives aimed at rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within and beyond the federal government.
Updated at 4:48pm
