Donald Trump is now taking a serious move to “change” American history as he sees fit. Yes, you read it right. Before the 250th Birthday of the United States, the White House issued an order to conduct an extensive review of the Smithsonian museums and exhibits. His administration wants to make sure the institution’s content aligns with the U.S. President’s interpretation of American history.
On Tuesday, the White House sent a letter to Lonnie Bunch III, the Smithsonian Institution Secretary, stating the detailed steps needed for the organization to conduct the wide-ranging content review. The letter stated that the review will have a deep dive into all public-facing content, including social media, educational materials, and exhibition text, to “assess tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals.”
The White House letter clearly stated, “This initiative aims 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.”
“We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents,” the Smithsonian responded. The institution further added that it remained committed to “scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history.”
This latest move adds to Donald Trump‘s efforts of bringing American cultural institutions like the Smithsonian inline with his own views. In March, he in fact signed an executive order for “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” Since then, his administration concluded that the Smithsonian’s content is influenced with “divisive, race-centered ideology.” Hence, in the latest letter to the institution’s secretary, the White House asked him to “remove improper ideology” from the museums.
White House reviewing Smithsonian exhibits to make sure they align with Trump’s vision
There goes all of that! Glad I homeschool my grandkid so the REAL TRUTH is taught, NOT Heritage/ pedo prez LIES!!! https://t.co/8LNSfRm2am
— jaggedGenX (@HeatherSco56902) August 12, 2025
The upcoming examination will mostly focus on the institution’s eight 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 review letter has since sparked much criticism, as Civil rights leaders slammed the Trump administration for its particular focus on the National Museum of African American History. So far, Smithsonian has denied the claims that they have made any changes following the pressure from the current administration.
However, according to the Mirror U.S., it has come to notice that they have removed an exhibit on the American presidency that made references to Trump’s two impeachments.
