Trump Orders Review of Smithsonian Museums
President Donald Trump has initiated a review of the Smithsonian museums to scrutinize what he deems prevailing “woke” ideologies in their exhibits. This move is part of a broader attempt to instill national pride by reexamining how American history is depicted in federal institutions.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced his plan to expand this review of the Smithsonian located in Washington, D.C.
“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump stated on social media.
“We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, starting the same process done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made,” he added. “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.”
The Smithsonian operates independently of the government and includes 21 museums, 14 research centers, and the National Zoo.
Back in March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at addressing “anti-American ideology” within the Smithsonian Institution and reinstating monuments removed over the past few years.
The order, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” directs Vice President JD Vance to eliminate “improper partisan ideology” from the Smithsonian, arguing that current narratives promote the notion of American history as “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.”
One specific concern highlighted in the order is related to training supported by the Biden Administration at Independence National Historical Park, which instructed Park Rangers to let their racial identities influence how they interpret history to visitors.
The order also criticizes the American Art Museum for an exhibit suggesting that sculpture has historically been employed to propagate scientific racism, asserting that the U.S. has often relied on race to maintain systems of power. This notion, according to the order, stems from far-left perspectives.
Additionally, it acknowledges controversies around the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which has labeled traditional values like “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” as toxic elements of “White culture.”
The order tasks Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum with identifying monuments that were removed to distort American history and to take steps to restore them.
Burgum is also instructed to ensure that current monuments “do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living… but instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people.”
Tim Graham, director at Media Research Center, supports the Smithsonian review. He argued in a Townhall article that questioning the content of the Smithsonian isn’t extremist but rather echoes the views of many. He criticized liberal elites who resist changes to historical narratives, suggesting that Trump’s review reflects a widely accepted idea.
A recent commentary in National Review pointed out a perceived drift in the Smithsonian’s focus toward narratives of oppression and victimization, advocating for a shift towards a balanced representation of Western civilization and American accomplishments.
