The Trump administration has ordered the Smithsonian Institution to conduct a "comprehensive internal review" of exhibits and materials under an August executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." Officials requested exhibition texts, labels, websites, education materials and social media content for review, and a December letter warned federal funding must align with the order. Observers warn the funding threat (the Smithsonian receives over 60% of its budget from federal sources) could prompt self-censorship; reports indicate some displays and plaques have already been altered.
Trump Administration Orders Smithsonian To Review Exhibits, Raising Concerns About Censorship
Trump’s censorship machine is cracking down on the Smithsonian
The Trump administration has ordered the Smithsonian Institution to complete a "comprehensive internal review" of its exhibits and materials by a Tuesday deadline, demanding that displays align with what officials describe as "American ideals." The directive stems from an August executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which critics contend seeks to reshape historical interpretation and downplay systemic racism in the United States.
What Officials Requested
In August, White House officials sent a letter to the Smithsonian seeking a broad set of materials for review, including exhibition texts, wall labels and didactics, museum websites, education resources, social media content, and plans for forthcoming exhibits. The stated review goals were to assess "tone, historical framing, and alignment with American ideals." The executive order accuses the Smithsonian of falling "under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology" and directs that federal expenditures not support exhibits or programs that "degrade shared American values" or "divide Americans based on race."
Compliance, Follow-Ups, And Financial Pressure
The New York Times reported that the Smithsonian initially provided only part of the lengthy document list. The review temporarily slowed after the White House aide overseeing the order left, but the administration resumed pressure with a December letter stressing that Smithsonian leaders should acknowledge the United States "has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world." The December letter also warned that federal funds allocated to the Smithsonian must be used consistently with the executive order — a consequential point given that the institution receives more than 60% of its funding from the federal government.
Signs Of Self-Censorship
Experts warn that threats to funding can produce preemptive self-censorship by museums and cultural institutions. The Washington Post reported that, days before the deadline, the National Portrait Gallery replaced a photo of former President Trump taken by an independent photojournalist with a portrait by an official White House photographer and edited a plaque to remove references to his impeachments and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
What’s At Stake
The review touches many of the Smithsonian’s most-visited museums, including 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, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Millions of visitors rely on these institutions to present scholarship, art, and memory in ways shaped by curators, scholars, and artists. Critics of the administration’s actions say the effort risks politicizing exhibits and narrowing the space for critical inquiry; supporters argue the review seeks balance and patriotically framed narratives.
Sources: The New York Times, The Washington Post, official White House letters.
The Smithsonian’s response and any subsequent changes to exhibits remain developments to watch as the deadline approaches.
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