Trump scrutinizes ‘woke’ Smithsonian museums, prompting censorship concerns
The White House released a list of Smithsonian exhibits that it’s taking issue with as the Trump administration’s review of museums continues.
Updated: 9:56 AM EDT Aug 24, 2025
The Trump administration is ramping up scrutiny of Smithsonian museums with a wide-ranging review of public-facing content and exhibition planning. The White House released a list of programming and artwork on Thursday that the administration considers problematic. It followed a social media post from President Donald Trump that fueled concerns that the administration is attempting to “sanitize history.””The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of “WOKE,” Trump wrote on Tuesday. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.” “I don’t understand how telling the truth can be too woke or too bad,” said Shamika Patterson, who visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Friday. “It’s our truth as African Americans, and it needs to be said.” The White House’s list, entitled “President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian,” takes issue with an educational campaign on “being antiracist” in “a society that privileges white people and whiteness.” It also criticizes an “Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag” displayed outside of the American History Museum, a painting depicting refugees crossing the southern border, and a stop-motion drawing animation of Anthony Fauci, who steered the COVID-19 pandemic response, among other examples. The list marks the latest escalation since the White House sent a letter notifying Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian, of an initial audit of eight museums, “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 prompted backlash from several organizations representing historians. In a joint statement, they accused the White House of “engaging in authoritarian censorship” and “taking another step toward divesting in professional expertise and dismantling principles of academic freedom.” Beth English, the executive director of the Organization of American Historians, said the extent of the president’s pressure campaign is unprecedented. “That’s a line that we haven’t before crossed in this country,” English said. “It threatens the independence and the integrity of the Smithsonian, which was established by Congress way back in 1846 as an independent agency, not under the authority of the White House, specifically for this reason, because the museums were intended to belong to the public, not to any one presidential administration.” The White House’s letter describes the review process as “constructive and collaborative,” noting that the goal “is not to interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff.” However, it also says museums should “begin implementing content corrections where necessary” within 120 days. The Smithsonian didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s unclear if the museums plan to make any changes based on the latest criticism from the White House. The president doesn’t have direct authority over the Smithsonian. It’s governed by a bipartisan board and overseen by Congress. An executive order signed by Trump earlier this year directs Vice President JD Vance to work with lawmakers to “prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
The Trump administration is ramping up scrutiny of Smithsonian museums with a wide-ranging review of public-facing content and exhibition planning.
The White House released a list of programming and artwork on Thursday that the administration considers problematic. It followed a social media post from President Donald Trump that fueled concerns that the administration is attempting to “sanitize history.”
“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of “WOKE,” Trump wrote on Tuesday. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”
“I don’t understand how telling the truth can be too woke or too bad,” said Shamika Patterson, who visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Friday. “It’s our truth as African Americans, and it needs to be said.”
The White House’s list, entitled “President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian,” takes issue with an educational campaign on “being antiracist” in “a society that privileges white people and whiteness.”
It also criticizes an “Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag” displayed outside of the American History Museum, a painting depicting refugees crossing the southern border, and a stop-motion drawing animation of Anthony Fauci, who steered the COVID-19 pandemic response, among other examples.
The list marks the latest escalation since the White House sent a letter notifying Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian, of an initial audit of eight museums, “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 prompted backlash from several organizations representing historians. In a joint statement, they accused the White House of “engaging in authoritarian censorship” and “taking another step toward divesting in professional expertise and dismantling principles of academic freedom.”
Beth English, the executive director of the Organization of American Historians, said the extent of the president’s pressure campaign is unprecedented.
“That’s a line that we haven’t before crossed in this country,” English said. “It threatens the independence and the integrity of the Smithsonian, which was established by Congress way back in 1846 as an independent agency, not under the authority of the White House, specifically for this reason, because the museums were intended to belong to the public, not to any one presidential administration.”
The White House’s letter describes the review process as “constructive and collaborative,” noting that the goal “is not to interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff.”
However, it also says museums should “begin implementing content corrections where necessary” within 120 days.
The Smithsonian didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s unclear if the museums plan to make any changes based on the latest criticism from the White House.
The president doesn’t have direct authority over the Smithsonian. It’s governed by a bipartisan board and overseen by Congress.
An executive order signed by Trump earlier this year directs Vice President JD Vance to work with lawmakers to “prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”