President Donald Trump has charged his administration to reshape the nation to fit his standards, and is now turning his attention toward the Smithsonian Institution and its collection of exhibits. In a letter issued by President Trump’s White House communications arm, there was a formal request for an internal review of Smithsonian exhibits and material to determine if they align with an executive order signed earlier in the year.
Back in March, President Trump signed an executive order and placed Vice President JD Vance in charge of ending federal funding to the Smithsonian Institution due to what the administration positioned as the organization’s alleged political aspirations, which they found to be divisive.
“Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology,” read a portion of the March executive order. “This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
The letter, sent to Smithsonian Institution secretary Lonnie Bunch III, was signed by Lindsey Halligan, the senior associate staff secretary, Vince Haley, the Domestic Policy Council director, and Russell Vought, the Office of Management and Budget director.
The first portion of the review will center on eight major Smithsonian Institution muesums — National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
In response to the letter, the Smithsonian offered a statment which reads, “The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history. We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents.”
The Smithsonian Institution has always presented itself to be nonpartisan. However, it does appear that pressure from the White House sparked an adjustment to a National Museum of American History exhibit depicting the two times President Trump was impeached, and the language was changed.
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Photo: Getty
