Trump Says Smithsonian Museums Are ‘Out of Control’ for Discussing ‘How Bad Slavery Was’: ‘This Country Cannot Be Woke’

Days after ordering an internal review of the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibits, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to criticize the museums for being “out of control” by highlighting some of the darker chapters in American history.

“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,'” he wrote. “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,” Trump continued.

The president concluded, “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE.”

“We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums,” Trump added.

Trump assumed control of the Smithsonian Museums’ messaging in March. The recent internal review, outlined in a letter sent to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III on Aug. 12, aims to ensure exhibits “celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”

The directive calls for a thorough review of internal communications, visitor surveys, current exhibits, external partners, and more, across eight Smithsonian museums. Within 120 days, the museums are instructed to update displays, replacing “divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials.”

This initiative is part of Trump’s March 27 order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” directing Vice President J.D. Vance, in his role on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, to remove “divisive, race-centered ideology” from Smithsonian museums, research centers, and the National Zoo.