White House orders review of Smithsonian museums and exhibits to ensure alignment with Trump directive

(CNN) — The White House is conducting a comprehensive internal review of exhibits and materials at the Smithsonian Institution – the organization that runs the nation’s major public museums – in an effort to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive about what should and shouldn’t be displayed.

The initiative, a trio of top Trump aides wrote in a letter to Smithsonian Institution secretary Lonnie Bunch III, “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.”

It marks the latest move by the Trump administration to impose the president’s views on US cultural and historical institutions and purge materials focused on diversity.

Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order accusing the Smithsonian Institution of having “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” that has “promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” Trump’s action put Vice President JD Vance in charge of stopping government spending on “exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”

The letter released Tuesday — signed by Trump aides Lindsey Halligan, the senior associate staff secretary; Vince Haley, the Domestic Policy Council director; and Russell Vought, the Office of Management and Budget director — says the review will focus on public-facing content, the curatorial process to understand how work is selected for exhibit, current and future exhibition planning, the use of existing materials and collections, and guidelines for narrative standards.

Eight key, Washington, DC-based Smithsonian museums will be part of the first phase of the review: 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. Additional museums, the letter said, will be announced in a second phase.

The Smithsonian said it was “reviewing” the letter, telling CNN in a statement it planned to work “constructively” with the White House.

“The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history. We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents,” the statement said.

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum complex, including 21 museums and the National Zoo. Nearly 17 million people visited Smithsonian properties last year, according to the museum’s website. Admission at nearly all the museums is free. The Smithsonian began a review of its own in June, and has repeatedly stressed its commitment to being nonpartisan. The institution told CNN in July that it was committed to an “unbiased presentation of facts and history” and that it would “make any necessary changes to ensure our content meets our standards.”

The letter calls on each museum to designate a point of contact to provide details on plans for programming to highlight the country’s 250th anniversary. It also asks for a full catalog of all current and ongoing exhibitions and budgets, a list of all traveling exhibitions and plans for the next three years, and all internal guidelines, including staff manuals, job descriptions, and organizational charts, along with internal communications about exhibition artwork selection and approval. That material is due within 30 days, with “on-site observational visits” and walkthroughs expected.

Within 75 days, Trump administration officials will schedule and conduct “voluntary interviews with curators and senior staff.”

And within 120 days, museums “should begin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials.”

Last month, the National Museum of American History removed a temporary placard referencing Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit related to the presidency, prompting public outcry against the museum and claims it was capitulating to Trump. In follow-up statements, the museum system insisted the placard’s removal was temporary and denied it had been pressured by any government official to make changes to its exhibits. It was reinstalled days ago, with some changes.

The exhibit now is set up in a way that places information about Trump’s two impeachments in a lower spot, with some changes to the placard’s text.

This developing story has been updated.

Michael Williams contributed to this report.

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