Washington– The Smithsonian Institution provided the White House with new documents about its scheduled exhibitions Tuesday in response to a request to share precise details of what its museums and other programs are doing for America’s 250th birthday.
For months, President Donald Trump has been pressing the Smithsonian to back away from “divisive narratives” and tell an upbeat story about the country’s history and culture, while threatening to withhold federal funds if it doesn’t. A cornerstone of American culture, the institution operates 21 museums and zoos that are among Washington’s most popular tourist destinations.
By Tuesday, the Smithsonian was supposed to provide lists of all exhibits, objects, wall texts and other materials dedicated to this year’s anniversary and other purposes. “We have sent more information in response to this request,” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III told staff in an email obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment, making it unclear whether it was satisfied with the material it received. There’s more to come, Bunch noted, saying the foundation will continue to engage in providing “relevant and appropriate materials.”
The Trump administration’s intention is to ensure that Americans have access to… Positive accounting The country’s history is not a history burdened with complications or shameful episodes of the past.
The final ultimatum has been put in place Letter dated 18 December To the Bunch from White House Budget Director, Russell Vought, and Domestic Policy Director, Vince Hawley.
“We want to make sure that no Smithsonian museum leaders are confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world,” the letter said.
“Americans will have no patience for a museum that is ashamed of America’s founding or uncomfortable with conveying a positive view of American history, one that justifiably takes pride in our country’s accomplishments and record.”
The Smithsonian Institution is not a federal entity but receives the majority of its funds from Congress.
The White House had initially requested all relevant materials in September, but said the documents the Smithsonian handed over fell far short of what it requested.
In his March Executive orderTrump claimed that there had been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology, not fact.”
As part of this, Vice President J.D. Vance was appointed to the Smithsonian’s Board of Trustees to oversee efforts to “remove unsound ideology” from all areas of the institution.
The Smithsonian Institution and the White House did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The prospect of polishing the historical record to please the president is a concern to many who study the past.
“History is about evidence,” said Matthew Delmont, a history professor at Dartmouth College. “It’s about welcoming complexity and nuance. It’s not about crafting one story that has to make everyone feel happy.”
“This is our history. This is our shared experience. We have to learn from it and never go back and try to whitewash or change anything based on our political leanings,” said Jim McSweeney, retired archivist from the National Archives.
In the months leading up to Trump’s August order appointing an official Review all Smithsonian exhibitsTrump fired Chief Archivist of the National Archives He said he was firing the National Portrait Gallery’s director, Kim Saget, who maintained the support of the Smithsonian’s board of directors, but eventually resigned.
Indeed, references to Trump’s two impeachments have been removed from a display of his photographs at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in its “American Presidents” exhibit, though. The text was available online.
Administration officials have framed the accountability as necessary work before the country commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, which the letter describes as “a unique opportunity to justify confidence in the operations of America’s leading cultural institutions.”
The Smithsonian review is just one part of Trump’s attack against a culture he considers too liberal.
Trump Launched the board From the Kennedy Center, one of the nation’s leading cultural institutions, selects a new, voted on institution Add his name To the exterior appearance of the complex. In the months that followed, a number of artists did so Withdrew from shows At the venue, some pointed to the name change and Trump’s involvement.
In the White House, Trump designed a partisan and subjective policy “Presidential Walk of Fame” He displays gilded portraits of himself and his ancestors, with plaques proving what they did. It excludes Democrat Joe Biden, who is represented instead by a robotic pen symbolizing what Trump has described as the presidency in absentia.
At the time, the White House said Trump was the primary author of the paintings, which praised him as a historically successful figure and described Biden as the worst president in history and the person who brought the United States to the “brink of destruction.”