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24m ago

White House Names Smithsonian Exhibits Targeted in 120-Day Review

The move formalizes a content audit of eight museums ordered under a March directive that seeks to remove what the administration calls ideological displays.

A sign is seen outside of the Smithsonian National Museum of American history on August 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on April 28, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Overview

  • The White House published an unsigned document titled "President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian" listing more than 20 exhibits, programs and artworks it deems objectionable.
  • Examples flagged include NMAAHC materials on "whiteness," the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag at the American History Museum, a focus on Benjamin Franklin’s ties to slavery, Latino museum interpretations of colonization and the border, and a Portrait Gallery animation about Anthony Fauci.
  • Officials said the list accompanies letters requiring eight museums to submit wall text and exhibition plans, with a roughly 120-day timetable to replace language the administration considers divisive.
  • Lindsey Halligan, a special assistant to the president, said the outreach seeks exhibit and placard information to determine “what happened” and to guide changes as part of the review.
  • Reporting notes overlap between the White House list and a recent Federalist article, as scholars call the effort an unprecedented political pressure campaign and the Smithsonian says it is reviewing the letter with its scholarly standards in mind.