Particle.news
Download on the App Store
59 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

White House Launches Smithsonian Review to Enforce Trump’s Historical Narrative

Critics warn the expedited review threatens the Smithsonian’s scholarly autonomy by imposing a politically driven framing on race and history.

Image
Image

Overview

  • A White House letter dated August 12 instructs eight Smithsonian museums to submit public-facing content, curatorial guidelines, and exhibition plans under a multi-phase timeline with deliverables due in 30, 75, and 120 days.
  • The review is explicitly tied to President Trump’s executive order to highlight American exceptionalism and expunge “divisive or partisan” language from exhibits and digital materials.
  • Museums in the first phase include the National Museum of American History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of Natural History, and five other flagship Smithsonian sites.
  • The Smithsonian says it is reviewing the directive, denies any demand to remove content, and has already updated its impeachment display after briefly omitting references to Trump’s two impeachments.
  • Historians, civil-rights advocates, and some lawmakers argue the expedited oversight risks politicizing the institution and undermining curator independence.