Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
What happened
President Donald Trump Tuesday ramped up his criticism of the Smithsonian Institution, alleging on social media that its museums were too focused on "how horrible our country is" and "how bad slavery was." He said he wanted the federally funded, independent museum organization to focus on things like "success," "brightness" and "the future," and suggested he would pressure the Smithsonian to comply using the "exact same process that has been done with colleges and universities."
Who said what
Trump has been trying to exert ideological and curatorial control over the Smithsonian for months, and the White House last week gave the organization 120 days to scrub its museums of "divisive or ideologically driven" content. Tuesday's post was the "latest example" of Trump trying to de-emphasize "racism and discrimination" in the U.S. and "instead spotlight a sanitized, rosy depiction of America," The New York Times said.
"It's the epitome of dumbness to criticize the Smithsonian for dealing with the reality of slavery in America," presidential historian Douglas Brinkley told the Times. "It's what led to our Civil War and is a defining aspect of our national history."
What next?
Asked about potential funding cuts, the White House said Trump "will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable." The Smithsonian "receives most of its budget from the U.S. Congress but is independent of the government in decision-making," Reuters said. However, under Trump, the White House has claimed "sweeping authority" to unilaterally "freeze dollars approved by Congress, usurping authority that the legislative branch has under the Constitution," The Washington Post said.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
