President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has ordered his attorneys to conduct a review of Smithsonian museums, calling their portrayal of U.S. history too negative and focused too much on “how bad Slavery was.”
Trump said he would subject the museums to “the exact same process” his administration has conducted of universities, with the goal of making the Smithsonian less “woke.”
A White House official told NBC News on Tuesday night that Trump plans to extend his review of museums beyond the Washington-based institution, saying the president will hold the Smithsonian “accountable” and “then go from there.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social: “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.”
“We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made,” he added.
The Smithsonian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House has waged war on several colleges and universities, pulling millions in federal funding from schools like Harvard, Columbia and Brown, alleging they fostered antisemitic climates and lowering the hammer on their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Some of the schools have reached agreements with the administration walking back some of their DEI efforts, pledging to comply with federal policies and in some cases paying the government hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Trump administration last week began conducting an unprecedented review of exhibits at the Smithsonian ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary in an effort to make sure they comply with Trump’s vision of history.
The Smithsonian received a letter signed by White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought last week instructing officials at eight of its museums to turn over information about exhibits and plans to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary within 30 days.
It instructed the officials to implement “content corrections” where necessary, including replacing “divisive” language.
NBC News found in May that at least 32 artifacts once on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall were removed, prompting questions from historical leaders. One artifact included a book belonging to Harriet Tubman, which was filled with hymns she was believed to have sung when she was leading enslaved people to freedom.
The Smithsonian, which comprises 21 museums, 14 education and research centers and a zoo, is the world’s largest complex of its kind. The bulk of its funding comes from Congress, but its curatorial process is independent.
