Trump forces Smithsonian to review slavery exhibits

Trump signed Executive Order 14253 on March 27, 2025, titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," directing federal cultural institutions to eliminate exhibits characterized as "divisive" or focused on systemic racism.

On August 12, 2025, White House officials sent a formal letter to Smithsonian leadership demanding extensive materials from eight museums, including exhibition texts, curatorial documents, visitor surveys, and governance records. The administration threatened funding withholding tactics.

The eight targeted museums are: National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of the American Indian, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture became the primary target, with exhibits documenting systemic racism, segregation, and historical injustices flagged for review. Museum professionals must respond to these demands while maintaining scholarly standards and historical accuracy.

The Smithsonian operates under governance by a Board of Regents with 17 members: the Vice President, Chief Justice, 3 Senators, 3 Representatives, and 9 citizen members appointed by Congress. This structure creates complex authority questions about presidential power to dictate museum content.

Trump attacked museums on social media as "OUT OF CONTROL" for emphasizing "how bad slavery was" rather than celebrating positive aspects of American history. His public statements make clear the review isn't about accuracy but about promoting a specific political narrative.

The White House set a deadline of January 13, 2026, for the Smithsonian to submit millions of records in digital form for review, warning of "willful noncompliance" consequences. Museum funding gives the federal government oversight authority but doesn't grant unlimited power to control educational content.

The Smithsonian houses over 155 million artifacts and specimens across 19 museums and 9 research centers. Current exhibits document the full scope of American history, including both achievements and injustices like slavery, segregation, and ongoing struggles for equality.