US President Donald Trump speaks during the unveiling of the Kennedy Center Honors nominees on August 13, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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In the first months of his second term, President Trump has targeted what universities can teach, and now he wants to influence how the Smithsonian tells visitors about moments in American history.
The Trump Administration sent a letter to The Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday ordering a “comprehensive internal review” of exhibits at the Smithsonian and its collection of museums, education centers, and the National Zoo. “This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism,” the letter says, informing the Smithsonian that the president wants to “remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”
The letter gives the Smithsonian 120 days to replace “divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 28: A Smithsonian Institution sign is seen on the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall on March 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reshape and remove contact that “portrays American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive” and promote “American greatness” at the Smithsonian Institute, and it’s collection of 21 museums, 14 education centers and the National Zoo. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Wednesday, co-host Jonathan Lemire said the Trump effort to control the Smithsonian’s exhibits raises disturbing questions about the accuracy of how the nation’s history–bad and good–is told.
“I mean, let’s be blunt: This is really bad and really, really dangerous,” Lemire said. “A nation needs to know its history. It has to be honest about its history to learn from it, to honor it, and also to then grow and improve for the present and future. There’s no way that rewriting a history to fit one president’s vision is good for a nation’s health or good for a nation’s democracy.”
‘A sweeping revisiting of American history’
Earlier this month, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History removed references in an exhibit to Trump becoming the first American president to be impeached twice. The reference was later restored, but edited.
The Smithsonian said in a statement Tuesday that its work “is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history. 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.”
“Now it seems that’s just the first step to a sweeping revisiting of American history,” Lemire said.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 14: Patrons view a portrait of former U.S. President Donald Trump in the America’s Presidents exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery as the Smithsonian Institution begins to slowly re-open its museums May 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump’s portrait, a photograph made by Pari Dukovic is on display to the public for the first time since the closure of the museums due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Museum content ‘should not be reviewed, revised, or edited for political gain’
“Museums cannot change content to suit a political whim or agenda,” said Lisa Strong, a professor of art history at Georgetown University, in an interview with NPR. “The best way for museums to maintain the high public trust they already enjoy is by remaining independent. Museums are staffed by experts in their fields who interpret the collection to help educate the public about art, history, science and culture. Their content should not be reviewed, revised, or edited for political gain.”