This month, the American History Museum, part of the Smithsonian Institution, took down an exhibit concerning former President Trump’s two impeachments, according to a representative from the museum.
This change, stemming from an internal content review the museum had agreed to, followed pressure from the Trump administration regarding its displays. An unnamed source relayed to the Washington Post that this shift was influenced by the administration.
A spokesperson for the Smithsonian mentioned in an email, “A large permanent gallery, like the one focused on US Presidents, which first opened in 2000, needs a significant investment of both time and money for any kind of renewal. Future updates to the exhibits will incorporate all relevant content.”
The decision drew criticism from some Democrats. They asserted that Trump’s actions aimed at muffling public memory of these events. “Trump can pretend it didn’t happen all he wants, but the facts are clear—he was impeached twice. I was there to see it,” remarked Sen. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) on Thursday night, in a post shared on the platform X.
Another critic, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), highlighted the New York Times coverage, declaring that this is precisely what Trump wants people to forget: “America doesn’t forget,” he wrote on X.
Back in March, Trump issued an executive order that called for the removal of what he termed “schizoidal tales” from the Smithsonian.
Currently, the exhibit states that “only three presidents are facing serious removals,” referencing a photo from the earlier temporary label.
Trump’s impeachment trials were initiated during his first term regarding: his solicitation of Ukraine to investigate then-Vice President Biden and his son, and the events surrounding January 6, 2021, where he was again charged in relation to the Capitol attack. In both cases, the Senate acquitted him.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also weighed in on the matter, suggesting on X that Trump “censors the Smithsonian as if it’s a crime scene. History gets erased whenever he’s involved.”
The director of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet, who is part of the Smithsonian, resigned in mid-June after facing pressure related to these changes.
