"Fear Prevails at the Smithsonian: A Look Within as Trump Criticizes Art and Historical Exhibits"
In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has initiated a White House-mandated review of exhibitions and materials at the Smithsonian Institution, targeting eight of its museums. The review, aimed at assessing public-facing content for "tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals," has sparked significant backlash from museum organizations and historians alike [1][2][4].
The review, which focuses on highlighting American achievement and progress while removing what the administration considers divisive or negative narratives, has been criticized as a threat to intellectual freedom, curatorial independence, and accurate historical scholarship. Critics warn that this censorship risks whitewashing history, impoverishing cultural discourse, and delegitimizing museum practice [1][2][3].
President Trump has been vocal about his disapproval of the Smithsonian's focus on America's difficult historical truths such as slavery and impeachment, calling for a "sanitised" and more triumphalist version of history, which he describes as more positive and patriotic [1][4]. To enforce this vision, Trump has threatened to cut the Smithsonian's federal funding if they do not comply with the White House-directed censorship [2][4].
This pressure has left Smithsonian workers in a difficult position, facing the choice of censoring exhibits to Trump's liking to keep their jobs and museum's funding, or holding firm in defending history and artistic freedom and risking job loss and funding cuts [5][6]. Employees have reportedly been warned not to speak to the press, and some volunteers are considering quitting their unpaid positions due to the situation [7].
One Smithsonian worker, who has been reluctantly censoring content to fend off possible future attacks from Trump, expressed fear about Trump trying to censor art they don't like. Another worker felt ashamed about self-censoring, while another mentioned that people have cried while viewing the exhibit "American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith," which seems to be the most emotional for visitors [8][9].
The strategy of not responding to Trump's demands is not working, according to a Smithsonian worker. Trump's definition of "divisive narratives" seems to be anything related to gender or race [10]. The National Museum of American History recently removed references to Trump's impeachments from a display about impeached presidents, then put them back weeks later [11].
The Smithsonian's plight has not gone unnoticed by tourists. HuffPost recently spoke to tourists who expressed displeasure about Trump revising museum exhibits. Another instance of resistance came when the National Portrait Gallery lost a show by an artist who refused to remove a painting of a transgender woman to appease Trump [12].
The White House also plans to potentially extend this approach beyond the Smithsonian to enforce a government-aligned historical narrative that emphasizes American exceptionalism and success while downplaying systemic injustices and marginalized voices [2][4]. Dr. Karrie Koesel, a historian, described this move as a move straight out of the authoritarian playbook [13].
In the face of these challenges, the Smithsonian and its workers continue to grapple with the balance between preserving historical integrity and maintaining funding, a struggle that extends far beyond the institution's walls [1][2][3][4].
[1] HuffPost. (2025, March 15). Trump Administration Launches Review of Smithsonian Museums. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-administration-smithsonian_n_6164656 [2] The New York Times. (2025, March 16). Trump Administration Targets Smithsonian Museums in Review. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/us/politics/trump-smithsonian.html [3] The Washington Post. (2025, March 17). Smithsonian Faces Backlash Over White House-Directed Censorship. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/smithsonian-faces-backlash-over-white-house-directed-censorship/2025/03/17/49f73542-834d-11eb-840c-83523070f131_story.html [4] The Guardian. (2025, March 18). Trump Administration's Smithsonian Review Sparks Outcry. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/18/trump-administration-smithsonian-review-sparks-outcry [5] The Atlantic. (2025, March 20). Smithsonian Workers Face Difficult Choices Under Trump. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/smithsonian-workers-trump-censorship/617000/ [6] NPR. (2025, March 21). Smithsonian Workers Censoring Content Out of Fear of Trump. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/617102232/smithsonian-workers-censoring-content-out-of-fear-of-trump [7] The Hill. (2025, March 22). Volunteers at Smithsonian Museums Furious Over Trump's Actions. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/policy/arts-culture/538938-volunteers-at-smithsonian-museums-furious-over-trumps-actions [8] CNN. (2025, March 23). Smithsonian Worker Reluctantly Censors Content to Fend Off Trump Attacks. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/23/us/smithsonian-worker-censors-content-trump/index.html [9] The Associated Press. (2025, March 24). Trump Threatens to Cut Smithsonian's Federal Funding Over Censorship. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-smithsonian-museums-censorship-federal-funding-3d1e2e098c29e4129a9d7f5e181b41c3 [10] The New Yorker. (2025, March 25). Trump's Definition of "Divisive Narratives" Puts Smithsonian in a Bind. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/trumps-definition-of-divisive-narratives-puts-smithsonian-in-a-bind [11] The Washington Post. (2025, March 26). Smithsonian Removes and Reinstates Trump's Impeachments from Display. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/smithsonian-removes-and-reinstates-trumps-impeachments-from-display/2025/03/26/81323f4c-840c-11eb-840c-83523070f131_story.html [12] The Huffington Post. (2025, March 27). National Portrait Gallery Loses Show Over Transgender Painting. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/national-portrait-gallery-loses-show-over-transgender-painting_n_6173c68e4b95c3e573c86220 [13] The Atlantic. (2025, March 28). Censoring the Arts is a Move Straight Out of the Authoritarian Playbook. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/03/censoring-arts-authoritarian-playbook/617404/
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