The Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American History has now officially updated its presidential impeachment exhibit, and the language about President Donald Trump's second impeachment is noticeably cagey.
That's according to a Friday article by the New York Times' Graham Bowley, who reported that the exhibit's new description of Trump's role on the day of the January 6, 2021 insurrection takes a more careful tone. Previously, the exhibit said Trump gave "repeated false statements" about the 2020 election, and that his speech that day "encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — imminent lawless action at the Capitol."
Now, the exhibit reads: "On Jan. 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. The charge was incitement of insurrection based on his challenge of the 2020 election results and on his speech on Jan. 6. Because Trump’s term ended on Jan. 20, he became the first former president tried by the Senate. He was acquitted on Feb. 13, 2021."
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University of Massachusetts-Amherst history professor Samuel J. Redman told the Times that the changes were "troubling" and indicative of a "chilling effect" on historians. He added that Smithsonian staff were "walking a tightrope, attempting to stick to factual interpretations about the recent past while experiencing pressure to minimize any bad information about the Trump administration."
In a Friday statement, the Smithsonian insisted its work was based on "a steadfast commitment to scholarship, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history.”
“Adhering to principles foundational to our role as the nation’s museum, we take great care to ensure that what we present to the public reflects both intellectual integrity and thoughtful design," the statement read.
The updated label on the impeachment exhibit comes roughly a week after the Washington Post reported that both of Trump's impeachments had been removed entirely from the Smithsonian, and that the National Museum of American History had reverted the exhibit's back to its 2008 version. The museum had apparently made the change after promising to review the exhibit for "bias."
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Click here to read the Times' full report in its entirety (subscription required).