5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purge

Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more

This cartoon shows buildings and monuments with new names in Washington DC. They are called: “Confederate Statuary Garden”, “Caucasian History Museum”, “Make Slavery Great Again Museum”, “White Artists Portrait Gallery”, and “Gallery of Under-Appreciated White Guys.” Two people are here and one says to the other, “The Smithsonian’s changed since Trump became president.”

(Image credit: Mike Luckovich / Copyright 2025 Creators Syndicate)

This Donald Trump cartoon depicts Trump making changes to exhibits at the Smithsonian with his black pen. A slave auction becomes “Free Market Capitalism.” A slave with a brutally whip-scarred back is now “Love Taps.” A whip is called “Workplace morale booster”. A ball and chains is called “employee retention device” and a slave ship is labelled “Luxury cruise ship.” Trump says, “Better!”

(Image credit: Nick Anderson / Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency)

In this cartoon, Donald Trump pushes a dolly through the Smithsonian that holds three boxes labeled “White Out”. He pushes it past paintings of Abraham Lincoln and an enslaved woman toward a sign that reads “Slavery Exhibit”.

(Image credit: Michael de Adder / Copyright 2025 Cagle Cartoons, Inc.)

This editorial cartoon depicts Donald Trump on the roof of a museum. He’s got a bucket of white paint and is whitewashing history. He says to himself, “Formerly the Smithsonian”

(Image credit: Ed Wexler / Copyright 2025 Cagle Cartoons, Inc.)

This editorial cartoon depicts Donald Trump on the roof of a museum. He’s got a bucket of white paint and is whitewashing history. He says to himself, “Formerly the Smithsonian”

(Image credit: Bill Bramhall / Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency)

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