Overview

• Trump wrote on Truth Social that museums are the “last remaining segment of ‘WOKE’,” complained about focus on “how bad slavery was,” and said he instructed attorneys to apply the same playbook used on colleges and universities.
• The White House letter to Secretary Lonnie Bunch, signed by Lindsey Halligan, Vince Haley and Russell Vought, seeks materials within 30 days, including plans related to the 250th anniversary, and outlines a review of narrative standards and curatorial processes.
• The review targets eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Museums of American History, Natural History, African American History and the American Indian, as well as the National Portrait Gallery and Air and Space Museum.
• The Smithsonian said it is grounded in scholarly excellence and accurate, factual history, and that it is reviewing the correspondence and will continue to work with the White House, Congress and its Board of Regents.
• Reporting indicates the administration could use funding leverage similar to tactics used against universities, while online critics condemned Trump’s post as an attempt to whitewash history.