Next step in Trump-ification of US? Smithsonian exhibits face ‘patriotic’ purge ahead of America's 250th anniversary
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Smithsonian, Donald Trump - Next step in Trump-ification of US? Photograph: (WION Web Desk)
Donald Trump's White House has set its sights on the Smithsonian Institution's museum exhibits that are deemed to cast America as "racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed".
US President Donald Trump's next step in the Trump-ification of America can potentially bulldoze Smithsonian exhibits. As per reports, the POTUS's initiative to Make American History Great Again, a play on his MAGA movement's name, has set its sights on the Smithsonian Institute's museum exhibits that are deemed to cast America as "racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed". Reports suggest that three White House officials have sent a letter to Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, declaring that the Trump administration would soon do a comprehensive review of the exhibits at its various museums. It said that the review would seek to ensure that the museums which receive federal funding project "unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story", as outlined in Trump's March executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History".
What did the White House say?
In line with Trump's executive order that calls for the removal of messages that cast America as "racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed," the newly announced review would target the Smithsonian's 8 of 19 museums in Washington, DC. This includes the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
“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,” reads the White House letter that bears the signatures of White House senior associate Lindsey Halligan, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, and Director of Domestic Policy Council, Vince Haley.
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Why now?
In a conversation with The Washington Post, White House senior associate Lindsey Halligan, who was a key player in Trump’s March executive order, said that the upcoming review was in preparation for America250. It is the 250th anniversary celebration of America’s founding. She said that it was “preserving trust in one of our most cherished institutions”, adding that the “Smithsonian museums and exhibits should be accurate, patriotic, and enlightening”.
