President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed that the White House is reviewing the Smithsonian museums, expressing concern over their focus on the darker chapters of American history, including slavery.
“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,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
“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. “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.”
The Smithsonian declined to comment.
ABC News reported last week that the White House plans a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibitions and operations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary next year.
In a letter sent to Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the White House stated it wants to ensure that the museums “reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story.”
Trump’s stance on the portrayal of slavery at the museums contrasts with his comments during a 2017 visit to The National Museum of African American History and Culture. At the time, he praised Bunch, then the museum’s founding director, calling the museum “incredible,” “done with love,” and “a truly great museum.”
He highlighted abolitionist figures such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass, and even shared a story about a runaway slave. Trump described the museum tour as “a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms.”
The White House review reportedly focuses on eight Smithsonian museums: The National Museum of African American History and Culture, The National Museum of American History, The National Museum of Natural History, The National Museum of the American Indian, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, The National Air and Space Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Trump signed an executive order in March directing Vice President JD Vance and Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the Smithsonian.
Last week, ABC News visited the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, photographing exhibits that displayed information and artifacts related to slavery, segregation, and the civil rights movement.
