President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Smithsonian Institution places too much emphasis on “how bad slavery was” rather than highlighting the “brightness” of America, as his administration reviews the content of museum exhibits.
“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,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “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.”
The remarks came a week after the White House informed the Smithsonian that its museums must adjust any material the administration deems problematic in “tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals” within 120 days. Together, Trump’s statement and the review marked the latest attempt by his administration to impose changes on cultural institutions and reduce the focus on Black history.
Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian, criticized the president’s comments. “It’s the epitome of dumbness to criticize the Smithsonian for dealing with the reality of slavery in America,” Brinkley said. “It’s what led to our Civil War and is a defining aspect of our national history. And the Smithsonian deals in a robust way with what slavery was, but it also deals with human rights and civil rights in equal abundance.”
Since entering office, Trump has pushed to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies from the federal government and threatened to investigate schools and companies that adopt them. He has sought to reframe the country’s past by downplaying its history of racism and discrimination while promoting a more positive depiction of America.
The administration has attempted to reduce government acknowledgment of Black contributions, from the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Trump marked Juneteenth by criticizing the number of national holidays and has called for Confederate insignia and statues to be restored. He has also attacked race-related Smithsonian exhibits as “divisive, race-centered ideology.”
The Smithsonian maintains that its exhibits cover a broad range of topics. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, for example, includes displays on the Middle Passage and slavery as well as civil rights and cultural achievements. Kevin Young, the museum’s director, resigned this spring amid growing criticism from Trump.
Quentin James, co-founder of the Collective, which works to elect Black officials, said the president’s comments were an effort to appeal to white grievance. “For all of us, it’s an assault on our history and an assault on what we know to be true,” James said. He described Trump’s approach as an attempt to protect “white fragility.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Trump added in his post that he had instructed his lawyers “to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities.” His administration has pursued investigations into universities with diversity programs, sparking court challenges, funding disputes, and the removal of many such initiatives.
