Trump pushes to rewrite Smithsonian history, fueling a culture-war clash

Trump's administration has pursued a sweeping review of the Smithsonian to root out what it calls 'woke' content, issuing executive orders, launching a White House investigation of eight museums, and demanding records and on-site reviews. In July 2026, a White House report accused the National Museum of American History of 'ideological capture' and urged removing activist exhibits in favor of patriotic, founding-era content. The administration then ordered reforms across federal agencies, while the Smithsonian defends its mission of scholarship and public education, setting up a protracted clash over how America's story should be told.