Trump’s remarks came after he began reviewing the Smithsonian facility to remove “divisive or partisan” elements from the museum.
Trump Administration Reviews Smithsonian on Partisan Content
The Trump administration ordered the Smithsonian to align the exhibit with American exceptionalism.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Washington’s Smithsonian Museum is too stubborn on “how bad slavery is” and other negative aspects of US history that it has promised to target internal “awakening” elements.
Trump’s remarks, made in an August 19 social media post on social social, came after he began reviewing the Smithsonian facility and its 21 museums last week, removing the “splitting or partisan” elements and determining whether it complies with the Trump administration’s views on the history that the material teaches.
“It’s a museum in Washington, but museums across the country are essentially the last remaining segment of “wake up,” Trump said in his post. “The Smithsonians are out of control and everything that is being discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery is, and how insufficient it was to be left unabated.”
Trump added that the Smithsonian Museum “has nothing about success, nothing about brightness or the future.”
“We’re not going to allow this,” he said, comparing his review to the Smithsonian facility review with his administration’s work to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the university. “We’ve woken up, so this country won’t wake up. We want people to talk about it, including museums. ”
The federal fund accounts for approximately 62% of the annual budget of the Smithsonian, a public-private partnership established by Congress.
The African American History and Culture Museum, opened by the Smithsonian in 2016, has a comprehensive exhibition on the history of slavery in the United States, beginning with the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Trump’s review is set to clearly focus on eight Smithsonian museums. This list includes the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the American History Museum. National Museum of Natural History; American Indian National Museum. National Air and Space Museum. Smithsonian American Museum. National Portrait Gallery. and the Hirschhorn Museum and the Sculpture Garden.
White House officials released an August 12 review of Smithsonian Secretary Ronnie Bunch III. The initiative wrote that it aims to “celebrate American exceptionalism, remove division or partisan narratives, and ensure alignment with the president’s instructions to restore confidence in shared cultural institutions.
According to the letter, within 120 days, the Smithsonian is expected to “revise content as needed, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with uniformity, historically accurate and constructive explanations.”
This review will focus on the Smithsonian exhibition, along with the process of creating them. It is expected to be completed early next year. This marks the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.
In a statement on the White House review last week, the Smithsonian said that he would “continue to work together constructively with the White House.”
“The Smithsonian’s work is based on academic excellence, rigorous research and a deep commitment to accurate and de facto presentations of history. We review the letters with this commitment in mind,” the statement reads.
Contribution: Zac Anderson
Reach Joey Garrison with X @joeygarrison.
