Overview

• Trump’s new Truth Social posts called the Smithsonian “OUT OF CONTROL” for focusing on “how bad Slavery was,” labeling museums the last bastion of “woke.”
• The White House letter directs eight museums, including American History, African American History and Culture, and Air and Space, to submit materials and begin content changes within set deadlines.
• The directive echoes the March order accusing the Smithsonian of advancing a “divisive, race-centered ideology” and seeks removal of narratives the administration deems partisan.
• The Smithsonian has stated it remains free from political or partisan influence, as elected Democrats and historians warn the effort risks censorship and historical sanitization.
• Supporters, including Sen. Mike Lee and conservative commentators on CNN, argue the aim is a more pro‑American framing rather than denying the evils of slavery.