White House Announces Comprehensive Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions

Art & Design|White House Announces Comprehensive Review of Smithsonian Exhibitions

The Trump administration said on Tuesday that it would begin a wide-ranging review of current and planned exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution, scouring wall text, websites and social media “to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals.”

White House officials announced the review in a letter sent to Lonnie G. Bunch III, the secretary of the Smithsonian. Museums will be required to adjust any content that the administration finds problematic within 120 days, the letter said, “replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.”

The review, which will begin with eight of the Smithsonian’s 21 museums, is the latest attempt by President Trump to try to impose his will on the Smithsonian, which is governed by a Board of Regents that includes a mixture of Democrats and Republicans and is overseen by Congress. Kim Sajet, the head of the National Portrait Gallery, resigned in June after Mr. Trump said he was firing her for being partisan. The Smithsonian’s governing board said at the time that it had sole responsibility for personnel decisions.

The White House said in its letter that its review “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.” The letter adds that the “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.”

News of the letter was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal. It is signed by Lindsey Halligan, a special assistant to the president; Vince Haley, the director of the Domestic Policy Council; and Russell T. Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Neither the Smithsonian nor Mr. Bunch immediately returned calls seeking comment.

Some historians expressed concern at the political interference in an institution that was long viewed as independent, including Samuel J. Redman, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who has written extensively about the Smithsonian.

“This a full assault on the autonomy of all the different branches of the institution,” he said. “Here now we have this truly massive political assault that is taking place and in a way too that is totally out of the bounds of professional practice.”

The review will include an examination of the Smithsonian’s plans for celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year. But it goes well beyond that, and will involve a detailed look at all current and ongoing exhibitions.

In March, Mr. Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” In it, he claimed that the Smithsonian, in particular, had “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and that it promotes “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”