President Trump on Tuesday said he intends to expand his crusade against what he calls โwokeโ ideology from the Smithsonian Institution to museums across the country.
โThe Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of โWOKE,โโ Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the Smithsonian is โout of control,โ and that everything featured in its exhibits discuss, โhow horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been โ Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.โ
To prevent more of the same in other institutions, Trump said he has instructed his attorneys, โto go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made.โ
Contacted for comment, a White House rep said, โPresident Trump will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable. He will start with the Smithsonian and then go from there.โ
They did not respond to a request for clarification on how the administration intends to vet the content of exhibits at other museums, or whether or not the president intends to issue an executive order with details on a plan.
Trumpโs concern about the Smithsonian first became public in late March when he issued an executive order titled โRestoring Truth and Sanity to American History,โ which directed Vice President JD Vance to remove โimproper ideologyโ from the Smithsonianโs 21 museums and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Two months later, Trump exerted even greater control when he said heโd fired Kim Sajet, the longtime director of the Smithsonianโs National Portrait Gallery, for being โa highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI.โ It soon became apparent that it wasnโt in Trumpโs power to do so and Sajet continued to work.
In early June the Smithsonian rejected Trumpโs attempt to fire Sajet after a lengthy Board of Regents meeting. The Regents issued a statement stating that the organizationโs secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch, โhas the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.โ It was implied that Bunch would be the one making personnel decisions, not Trump.
Still, the statement opened the door to the idea that the Smithsonian might make changes that would appease Trumpโs criticism.
โTo reinforce our nonpartisan stature, the Board of Regents has directed the Secretary to articulate specific expectations to museum directors and staff regarding content in Smithsonian museums, give directors reasonable time to make any needed changes to ensure unbiased content, and to report back to the Board on progress and any needed personnel changes based on success or lack thereof in making the needed changes,โ the statement read.
Sajet resigned a few days later, writing in a note to staff, โFrom the very beginning, my guiding principle has been to put the museum first. Today, I believe that stepping aside is the best way to serve the institution I hold so deeply in my heart.โ
Other museums are ringing alarm bells about what it could mean for art and history at large.
The Japanese American National Museum in L.A.โs Little Tokyo recently issued a statement condemning what it called the, โReshaping of Smithsonian Museumsโ to fit โthe administrationโs historical interpretation.โ
โThese latest attempts to sanitize and reshape history to fit a narrow ideological narrative amount to nothing less than the erasure of history,โ said JANMโs President and Chief Executive Ann Burroughs. โWe cannot reverse Americaโs journey toward a more just and equitable future. Museums must be places of truth, not propaganda โ spaces where the next generation can confront the complexity of our nationโs injustices, mistakes, and darkest chapters; where empathy, social responsibility, and the courage to defend democracy are nurtured.โ
The American Alliance of Museums also recently issued a statement warning of โgrowing threats of censorship against U.S. museums.โ
โIn recent months, museums have faced increasing external pressures to modify, remove, or limit exhibitions and programs,โ the statement read. โPeople trust museums because they rely on independent scholarship and research, uphold high professional standards, and embrace open inquiry. When any directive dictates what should or should not be displayed, it risks narrowing the publicโs window into evidence, ideas, and a full range of perspectives.
โThis is not just a concern for select institutions,โ the statement continued. โThese pressures can create a chilling effect across the entire museum sector.โ