The White House published a list of 20 exhibits and pieces of artwork across eight museums of the Smithsonian that it found objectionable, part of its sweeping review ahead of the country's 250th anniversary.
Thursday’s article, titled, "President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian," comes a week after the White House informed the Smithsonian in a letter that it was planning the inspections of its museums to "ensure alignment" with President Donald Trump's orders to "celebrate American exceptionalism."
In Thursday’s article, the White House criticized the 20 exhibits as politicized and ideologically driven. Many centered on race, gender and sexuality, portraying U.S. history through lenses of systemic oppression, exclusion, and colonialism, the White House asserted.
At the National Museum of African American History and Culture, for example, a series defined "white dominant culture" in ways critics saw as framing family, intellect, and work ethic as racially biased. Other exhibits spotlighted Ibram X. Kendi’s activism. The National Portrait Gallery pursued anti-border wall art and performances, while celebrating figures like Anthony Fauci through animated pieces.
The American History Museum emphasized progressive themes: displaying the Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag, exploring LGBTQ+ identities, celebrating drag culture, and defending transgender athletes in sports. It also critiqued voter integrity laws, depicted the Statue of Liberty with tomatoes, reframed Pilgrims as colonizers, and linked Benjamin Franklin’s scientific legacy to slavery.
The National Museum of the American Latino reinterpreted events like the Texas Revolution and Mexican-American War as pro-slavery and imperialist, tying Latino identity to movements like Black Lives Matter. Exhibits featured activist quotes, immigrant testimonies, and anti-colonial narratives.
Lindsey Halligan, special assistant to Trump, told Newsmax on Thursday that last week’s letter and the critical review is about trying "to get to the bottom of what happened and where the Smithsonian went wrong, and try to make the Smithsonian amazing and great, and live up to what the president wants the Smithsonian and [Washington] D.C. to be."
The review is expected to conclude in early 2026, according to the report. The other targeted museums are the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
The Smithsonian gets 62% of its annual budget — over $1 billion — from federal grants, congressional appropriations and government contracts, according to The New York Times.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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