The Wall Street Journal reports the White House will conduct a sweeping review of Smithsonian museum exhibitions, materials and operations to align it with President Donald Trump’s interpretation of American history.
Three top White House officials, said the Journal, sent a letter to Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they want to ensure the museums’ “unity, progress, and enduring values” reflect President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
The White House intends to inspect and adjust public-facing exhibition text and online content. It also wants to have a say in future exhibition planning, as well as the use of collections and artist grants, say Journal reporters.
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“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,” states the Aug. 12 letter.
Critics railed against Trump’s January executive order demanding a Trump-approved version of U.S. history that erases chapters that fail to align with Trump’s vision of American greatness, reports the Guardian.
“He’s ignorant of economic history, he’s ignorant of political history. And his idea for the 250 [anniversary] is to use it as a way to celebrate him,” said Jonathan Alter, a historian and biographer to the Guardian. “We don’t know yet exactly how he’ll hijack that event next year, but he will certainly try to do so.”
The Journal reports Trump singled out the Smithsonian Institution in his executive order, claiming the Smithsonian had “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” that promotes “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
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The Smithsonian’s Board of Regents had already agreed to conduct a thorough review of its museum and zoo content to eliminate political influence and bias, according to the Journal.
This may not be the first time the White House has tinkered with museum exhibits. After outcry, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History restored references to Trump after removing them from a presidential impeachment display in late July.
Read the full Wall Street Report at this link.