White-washing the Smithsonian

As reported in the Wall Street Journal (that well-know liberal rag), the Trump administration wants to reshape how the Smithsonian tells the nation's story.

In a letter sent to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on August 12, three senior White House officials announced a comprehensive review of museum exhibitions, operations, and collections ahead of America's 250th anniversary in 2026.

We all know the stories they want to tell and the ones they want to bury. Official American history is about to become a lot whiter and jingoistic.

History itself will be "assessed" at the Smithsonian

The review will scrutinize eight major Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and the National Air and Space Museum. White House officials want to ensure these institutions present what they call the "unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story."

Manifest destiny and all that.

Again, we the "values" they look to the museum to express will have to align with a particular worldview—a Republican one. The blinders that will be required for exhibits will excise large chunks of the more distateful bits of the American story—or, you know, actual history.

It's always the politics

This initiative stems directly from President Trump's executive order on "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." The order criticized the Smithsonian for coming under the influence of what he termed "divisive, race-centered ideology" that portrays American values as "inherently harmful and oppressive."

White House senior associate Lindsey Halligan, domestic policy director Vince Haley, and budget director Russ Vought signed the letter outlining the review. They stated the goal is to "celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions." To that end:

Following the assessment, museums will have to replace "divisive or ideologically driven" language with "unifying, historically accurate" materials. But who determines what is "accurate." And ingnoring the uglier parts will make things inherently more inaccurate.

Or, As Mark Jacob put it on Bluesky:

Academic pushback and the institutional response

The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from historians and academic organizations. Sarah Weicksel, executive director of the American Historical Association, called the effort "an affront to the historians and curators trained to ensure historical accuracy."

Harvard history professor Tiya Miles expressed concern that the Smithsonian will interpret history based on "one man's view" rather than scholarly research. She emphasized that the museums have traditionally "reflected the composite research, analysis, discussion, findings of many different people, scholars and researchers."

The Smithsonian issued a measured response, stating that its work is "grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history." The institution said it would review the letter with this commitment in mind while continuing to collaborate with the White House and Congress.

Notably, the Smithsonian's Board of Regents had already agreed to conduct their own review of museum content to eliminate political bias, as previously reported in the WSJ.

It all fits together with other efforts

This Smithsonian review represents part of a larger Trump administration effort to reshape cultural and educational institutions across the country. The president has also targeted universities and other cultural organizations as part of his campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Fake hillbilly and Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, will likely play a key role in blocking appropriations for exhibitions that don't align with the administration's vision. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this review will likely determine how the nation's premier museums present American history to millions of visitors in the coming years.

It's a re-writing of America's history. All tailored to suit a narrative and mythology that aligns with their needs and desires. This fake narrative includes the Lost Cause mythology, ignores Black and Native history, and discounts any criticisms of how the U.S. government and culture has marginalized large sectors of our society. You can also see this in the ICE crackdown on anyone who looks vaguely hispanic—be they illegal or an actual citizen.

It explicitly is a move to make narrow-minded white people feel better about themselves. It will allow them to conintue to look down on and discriminate against the "other."

Non in cautus futuri.