On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, President Donald Trump ignited a fresh cultural firestorm by targeting the Smithsonian Institution and its network of national museums, accusing them of being excessively "woke" and fixated on the darkest chapters of American history—most notably, the horrors of slavery. The president’s comments, delivered in a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, and followed by a formal White House directive, have drawn sharp criticism and reignited debates about how the nation’s past should be presented to the public.
"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," Trump wrote, as reported by theGrio. He went on to lament what he sees as a lack of focus on American achievement, declaring, "Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future." In his view, "This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the 'HOTTEST' Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums."
Trump’s remarks did not come out of the blue. They arrived just days after he ordered an internal review of the Smithsonian, instructing museum leaders to root out what he described as "divisive or partisan narratives" from exhibitions and programming. This review, detailed in a White House letter dated August 12, 2025, to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, is said to be in compliance with Trump’s March executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity in American History." The directive calls for a sweeping examination of exhibition plans, internal guidelines, and materials related to the upcoming America 250 celebrations, with the stated aim to "ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions." (Fox News Digital)
The initial phase of the review will target eight of the Smithsonian’s most prominent museums: 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 White House’s letter outlined a clear timeline: museums must submit requested materials within 30 days, schedule staff interviews within 75 days, and begin implementing content corrections within 120 days. These corrections, officials say, should "replace divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions."
Among the exhibits already singled out by the Trump administration is the Entertainment Nation exhibit at the National Museum of American History. According to Fox News Digital, White House special assistant Lindsey Halligan stated, "American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives. The Smithsonian Institution should present history in a way that is accurate, balanced, and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional."
The administration’s scrutiny extends to specific panels and displays. One 1920s circus poster was described as reflecting "the colonial impulse to claim dominion over the world." Another reinterpreted the Lone Ranger, drawing a parallel between the character’s relationship with Tonto and U.S. global dominance. A third panel suggested that Mickey Mouse’s original design in Steamboat Willie drew on traditions of blackface minstrelsy.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, the White House has insisted that the review is meant to be a "collaborative and forward-looking opportunity" with Smithsonian staff. The letter stated, "Our goal is not to interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff, but rather to support a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage."
Trump’s directive and public comments have triggered a wave of criticism from across the political spectrum, especially from those who see the move as an attempt to whitewash or censor American history. Former Biden White House Public Engagement chief of staff Erica P. Loewe told theGrio, "This is an obvious attempt to whitewash history and silence voices that don’t fit President Trump’s narrative. Censoring museums will not erase the truth. It will only ensure Trump is remembered as the coward who feared it." She added pointedly, "Museums tell America’s story. President Trump just doesn’t want his chapter read aloud."
Brandon Weathersby, spokesperson for the Democratic research group American Bridge 21st Century, echoed these sentiments, telling theGrio, "Families didn’t vote for Trump to police museums or rant about exhibits showing the horrors of slavery. They voted for lower prices, good-paying jobs, and a better future for their kids." He argued that Trump is "obsessing over historically accurate exhibits while Americans struggle to keep up with soaring costs at the grocery store." Weathersby predicted that, "Next year, Congressional Republicans will have to explain to their constituents why they’re still supporting Trump’s culture war fixation instead of delivering real solutions for working families."
U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, co-chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, was even more direct in her condemnation. "Trump has no right to censor our history, ignore the systemic oppression of marginalized people, and attack our intellectual freedom," she said in a statement. Pressley likened Trump’s actions to his "disgraceful rollbacks of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and his campaign to ban books," calling the review "yet another attempt to whitewash our shared history and replace the challenges and triumphs of women, people of color, and Native Americans with false narratives forged with white supremacist ideology." She concluded, "Black History is American history, and no amount of white-washing or erasure will change the truth."
Reaction on social media was swift and, in many quarters, scathing. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump wrote, "Now museums are being targeted because they speak too openly about the horrors of slavery. 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." CNN’s Daniel Dale chimed in, "It takes a single trip to any Smithsonian, including the American history museum and the African American history and culture museum, to know that the claim they feature 'nothing about Success' and 'nothing about Brightness' is categorically false."
On the other side of the debate, the Trump administration and its supporters argue that the review is necessary to ensure that museums present a balanced, uplifting, and unifying narrative—one that celebrates American progress and exceptionalism rather than dwelling on its failures. The White House letter described the process as "empowering museum staff to embrace a revitalized curatorial vision rooted in the strength, breadth, and achievements of the American story."
The Smithsonian Institution, founded in 1846 and now encompassing 21 museums, 21 libraries, more than a dozen education and research centers, and zoos, has long been seen as a steward of the nation’s collective memory. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016 and surpassed 10 million visitors in 2023, stands as a testament to the enduring public interest in confronting and understanding the full sweep of American history, both its triumphs and its tragedies.
As the Smithsonian prepares for the country’s 250th anniversary, the debate over how the story of America is told—warts and all—shows no signs of fading. For now, the nation’s museums find themselves once again at the heart of a heated struggle over history, truth, and national identity.
