‘Nothing about success': Donald Trump criticises Smithsonian over slavery exhibits; demands content reflect American ‘brightness'
US President
Donald Trump
on Tuesday criticised the Smithsonian Institution, claiming its exhibits emphasise the negative aspects of US history, including slavery, while downplaying the country's achievements.
He argued that the country's "woke" museums focus excessively on 'how bad slavery was'.
The comments come as his administration conducts a review of museum content to assess alignment of content with his vision of 'American exceptionalism' and to remove materials it considers divisive, a process affecting several major Smithsonian museums, according to CNN.
His comments come amid a broad review by his administration of museum exhibits, aimed at aligning content with his vision of 'American exceptionalism.'
'The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of 'Woke.' The Smithsonian is out of control, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future. We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities, where tremendous progress has been made.
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This Country cannot be woke, because woke is broke', Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
He added that museums should reflect the 'Hottest country in the world' and be proud of its accomplishments.
The White House previously instructed the Smithsonian to adjust any exhibits deemed problematic in tone, historical framing, or alignment with American ideals within 120 days, highlighting eight major institutions, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of the American Indian, as per AFP.
Trump directed his lawyers to conduct reviews of museum content, comparing the effort to previous actions targeting colleges and universities.
Historians and civil rights advocates sharply criticised the move. Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian, was quoted as saying by the New York Times, 'It's the epitome of dumbness to criticise the Smithsonian for dealing with the reality of slavery in America… it also deals with human rights and civil rights in equal abundance.'
Quentin James, co-founder of the Collective, called Trump's comments an attempt to protect 'white fragility' and described them as 'an assault on our history and an assault on what we know to be true', as per the New York Times.
The Smithsonian, an independent institution supported by federal funds and governed by a 17-member Board of Regents, has stressed its commitment to unbiased historical presentation.
According to CNN, its Secretary, Lonnie Bunch III, emphasised the importance of educating the public about slavery, calling it 'an impossible task without the full recognition of the horrors of slavery.'
The institution began its own review in June to ensure content remains nonpartisan.
Trump's campaign against museums mirrors his previous actions against universities, where his administration scrutinised diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, froze federal funding, and initiated legal battles with institutions including Harvard and Columbia, reported CNN.
The administration also signed an executive order placing Vice President JD Vance, a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, in charge of reviewing exhibits for ideological alignment.
Critics argue that Trump's approach seeks to minimise the historical experiences of Black Americans. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump wrote on X, 'If telling the truth about slavery makes a museum 'too woke,' then the problem isn't the history, it's the people who want to erase it.'
Trump has previously praised the Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, during his first term in 2017, calling them a 'beautiful tribute to so many American heroes', as per CNN.
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