All articles tagged with #smithsonian
President Donald Trump urged the Smithsonian to replace the Infinity sculpture outside the National Museum of American History with a 30-foot statue of George Washington and to mount a Washington exhibit, highlighting political pressure on Smithsonian exhibits amid leadership changes.
Lonnie G. Bunch III, the Smithsonian secretary, plans to retire and is slated to speak at a Sept. 25 event at the National Museum of African American History and Culture titled “Understanding America: 10 Years of Excellence.” The Smithsonian has been under a White House–led review since 2025 examining tone and framing of exhibits and public content, affecting eight major museums; Sen. Alex Padilla praised Bunch, while the Board of Regents and Congress will determine next steps for the institution.
The Trump administration released a public-letter warning that federal agencies may stop working with the Smithsonian—citing alleged “extreme political activism” at the National Museum of American History and pressing for leadership and ideological changes. The move could disrupt loans, procurement, and discretionary funding, signaling a broader effort to influence the museum’s content. Smithsonian officials insist the institution remains independent and autonomous, as White House scrutiny of its leadership and exhibits has intensified since 2025, with potential board changes anticipated before the next elections.
Bishop E.W. Jackson criticizes the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and its director Anthea Hartig, accusing them of anti-American, woke indoctrination in history. He argues history should present factual events rather than push a social-justice narrative, a stance voiced amid a White House report that the Smithsonian has undergone ideological capture and after congressional scrutiny of its leadership. Jackson links his concerns to Howard Zinn’s history-writing and past controversies, while stressing that he believes Americans still enjoy opportunity despite the nation’s past.
Trump's 2026 budget proposals would cut Smithsonian federal funding to below $1 billion, shifting emphasis from new exhibits to operations and research, with allocations varying by museum and fueling controversy over how American history and DEI priorities are presented.
A resurfaced February 2025 UCLA talk by Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig describes history as a 'prime tool of social justice,' a stance that appears to contradict her July Capitol Hill testimony asserting Smithsonian objectivity; the piece notes her praise for Black Lives Matter, multilingual access, and restorative-justice aims, and frames the remarks amid ongoing partisan scrutiny of perceived woke influence at the Smithsonian.
A Texas-based historian claims the Smithsonian has shifted from educating the public about history to promoting activism, saying exhibits omit context and direct visitors toward political action, a view highlighted by congressional scrutiny; Smithsonian officials counter that their mission remains balanced and scholarly, though critics call for broader changes.
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.
President Trump's White House review accuses the Smithsonian of promoting woke narratives and recommends sweeping reforms, including a funding cut that would push the annual request below $1 billion and executive actions to reshape exhibits, programming and leadership—signaling a broad effort to remake how American history is presented, though Congress must approve any changes.
The Smithsonian, home to more than 157 million artifacts across a vast network of museums and education programs, faces political scrutiny from the Trump administration over perceived left-leaning messaging. The White House has ordered signs outside the National Museum of American History directing visitors to a report it says presents an accurate view of the nation's past, intensifying debates about the museum's portrayal of American history while the Smithsonian continues nationwide education outreach and partnerships.
Daily Kos publishes a Jack Ohman cartoon criticizing Donald Trump’s alleged push to rewrite American history, framing it as whitewashing racism and the legacy of slavery, with the Smithsonian as a focal point of the critique.
Fox News Digital’s review of public bios found roughly two dozen Smithsonian leaders and curators who previously worked for Democratic offices or liberal nonprofits and who have DEI roles, fueling Republican claims of a left-leaning bias in exhibits and hiring. Smithsonian officials say staffing decisions are nonpartisan and based on qualifications. The piece highlights figures such as Roshni Lal and several curators focused on race and social justice, notes past connections to Clinton/Obama administrations, and mentions congressional scrutiny and a small share of employee political donations going to Republican committees, all against a backdrop of about 6,400 staff.
Heather Cox Richardson argues that the Trump administration is attempting to rewrite U.S. history by portraying the country as founded on white, European heritage, criticizing a White House report that claims the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History ‘erases’ heritage. The piece details congressional hearings, partisan attacks on museum director Anthea Hartig, the administration's executive order to place corrective signage at the Smithsonian, and the broader warning that politicizing history threatens public trust and the accuracy of our national story.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing warning signs to be posted outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, claiming the exhibits present inaccurate information about American history and directing the Interior Department to install signs and point visitors to sources of 'accurate information.' The move follows a White House assessment that the Smithsonian cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly, while Smithsonian officials defend the museum's scholarship.
A House hearing probes why the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History removed the phrase 'American history' from its mission statement, with Rep. Mike Carey demanding explanations while Anthea Hartig defends the move as broadening voices and linking history to civic understanding rather than erasing the nation's past amid broader culture-war debates.