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President Donald Trump escalated his battle for American culture with the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday, ordering a broad review of the nation’s leading museums after blasting them on Truth Social as “the last remaining segment of WOKE.” The move was also formalized in a White House letter released in a letter Aug. 12 to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch.
Trump’s post accused the Smithsonian as well as other museums nationwide of pushing narratives that disparage the U.S. rather than celebrate its achievements.
“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,’” Trump wrote. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL … Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”
He added: “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.”
AMERICAN HISTORY WON’T BE DISPLAYED ‘IN A WOKE MANNER’ AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS
President Donald Trump blasted the Smithsonian on Truth Social on Tuesday for being ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ and ‘WOKE.’ (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
The letter instructs Smithsonian leaders to provide exhibition plans, internal guidelines, and America 250 programming materials for review.
“As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s founding, it is more important than ever that our national museums reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story,” the letter stated. “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.”
According to administration officials, the review will focus on public-facing content, curatorial processes, exhibition planning, collection use, and overall narrative standards.
The initial phase will target the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CALLS OUT SMITHSONIAN FOR PUSHING ‘ONE-SIDED, DIVISIVE POLITICAL NARRATIVES’
The sweeping review includes eight museums, most of which are under the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Tuesday’s announcement follows earlier White House criticism of specific Smithsonian exhibitions. On July 5, Fox News Digital reported that officials had singled out the Entertainment Nation exhibit at the National Museum of American History for review.
At the time, White House special assistant Lindsey Halligan said to Fox News Digital, “American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives. The Smithsonian Institution should present history in a way that is accurate, balanced, and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional.”
Among the panels singled out by the White House was a 1920s circus poster described as reflecting “the colonial impulse to claim dominion over the world.” Another display reinterpreted the Lone Ranger, comparing the character’s relationship with Tonto to U.S. global dominance. A third panel suggested that Mickey Mouse’s original design in Steamboat Willie drew on traditions of blackface minstrelsy.
WHITE HOUSE REVIEWING ALL SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM, EXHIBIT CONTENT BEFORE AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION IN 2026
A Smithsonian exhibit placard from the National Museum of American History describes 1920s circus performances as expressing “the colonial impulse to claim dominion over the world.” (Fox News Digital)
Despite the sharp rhetoric, the letter said the White House sees the review as a constructive process.
“Our goal is not to interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff, but rather to support a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage,” officials wrote.
The timeline requires museums to submit requested materials within 30 days, schedule staff interviews within 75 days, and begin implementing content corrections within 120 days. The corrections, the letter said, should replace “divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.”
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White House officials closed the letter by presenting the initiative as a collaborative effort with Smithsonian staff. “We view this process as a collaborative and forward-looking opportunity, one that empowers museum staff to embrace a revitalized curatorial vision rooted in the strength, breadth, and achievements of the American story,” the letter stated.
“By focusing on Americanism — the people, principles, and progress that define our nation — we can work together to renew the Smithsonian’s role as the world’s leading museum institution.”
The White House and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
