Overview

• The White House instructed the Smithsonian to conduct a comprehensive internal review to align displays with a pro‑American, non‑divisive narrative ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
• President Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Smithsonian focuses too much on “how bad Slavery was” and called the museums the last segment of “woke.”
• The review covers eight institutions, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
• The Smithsonian has stated it is committed to remaining free from political or partisan influence.
• Republican Sen. Mike Lee praised the reforms as necessary for taxpayer‑funded institutions, while historians and Democratic critics warned the effort risks sanitizing history, particularly on slavery.