The White House is conducting an expansive review of the Smithsonian’s museum exhibitions, materials and operations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary to ensure they align with President Donald Trump’s view of history.
The assessment, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed to NBC News, will include reviews of online content, internal curatorial processes, exhibition planning, the use of collections and artist grants, and wording related to museum exhibit messaging.
The Smithsonian Institution includes 21 museums, 14 education and research centers and the National Zoo.
News of the review was outlined in a letter sent Tuesday to Lonnie Bunch, the institution’s secretary. White House senior associate Lindsey Halligan, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and White House Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought signed the letter.
“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,” the letter says.
It directs officials at eight museums — including the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture — to turn over information about their current exhibits and plans to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary in the next 30 days.
Within 120 days, museums “should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials,” the letter said.
“Additional museums will be reviewed in Phase II,” the letter said.
The review, which the letter said will include “on-site observational visits,” is aimed at making sure the museums reflect the “unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story” and reflect the president’s executive order calling for “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
That order, which was signed on March 27, calls for removing “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo.
“This is about preserving trust in one of our most cherished institutions,” Halligan said in a statement. “The Smithsonian museums and exhibits should be accurate, patriotic, and enlightening — ensuring they remain places of learning, wonder, and national pride for generations to come.”
The Smithsonian said in a statement Tuesday that its work “is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history.”
“We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents,” the statement said.
NBC News reported in May that historical leaders and critics were questioning why exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall were rotating out. NBC News found that at least 32 artifacts that were once on display had been removed.
Among those items were Harriet Tubman’s book of hymns filled with gospel songs that she is believed to have sung as she led enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” the memoir by one of the most important leaders of the abolition movement.
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History also recently made headlines after it removed a placard referring to Trump from an impeachment exhibit, sparking concerns over his influence on the cultural institution. Mention of his two impeachments was restored to the exhibit after criticism of the removal.
In a statement, the Smithsonian said that the exhibit was temporarily removed because it “did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation.”
“It was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and moreover blocked the view of the objects inside its case. For these reasons, we removed the placard,” the institution said.
Trump’s executive order called for changes at the museum system, charging that the “Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
“[W]e will restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness — igniting the imagination of young minds, honoring the richness of American history and innovation, and instilling pride in the hearts of all Americans,” the order said.
Trump has also gotten more involved at another federally controlled D.C. institution, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He named himself the center’s chairman and fired the bipartisan board of trustees after vowing there would be no “anti-American propaganda” at there.
“We don’t need woke at the Kennedy Center,” he said in February.
House Republicans have moved to rename the center the “Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts,” but the law creating the center prohibits any of the facilities from being renamed.
Trump seemed to acknowledge the House effort in a post on Truth Social Tuesday.
“GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS. They will be announced Wednesday,” he wrote.
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