Trump says the Smithsonian is too woke. We visited to find out – USA Today

Trump says the Smithsonian is too woke. We visited five of its museums to find out

The Trump administration announced a review of the Smithsonian Institute, starting with eight of its high-profile museums. USA TODAY visited five and interviewed nearly 50 museumgoers on their views.

BrieAnna J. FrankChristopher CannChris QuintanaKarissa WaddickStephen J. Beard

USA TODAY

• The White House announced on Aug. 12 a review of the Smithsonian Institute, starting with eight museums.
• Then on Aug. 21, the White House posted an article on its website listing a host of exhibits and artwork it found objectionable.
• In a social media post, President Donald Trump said the museums are ‘out of control’ and focus too much on ‘how bad Slavery was.’
• Whatever changes come from the review could ripple far beyond the Smithsonian, an organization seen as a “flagship” that other museums across the nation follow.

WASHINGTON − He’s renamed a body of water and a mountain. He put himself at the top of the Kennedy Center. Now, President Donald Trump wants to put his stamp on the Smithsonian Institution and make its museums less “woke.”

“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been,” Trump said in a recent social media post.

The Smithsonian oversees 21 museums and libraries, the National Zoo as well as research and education centers around the country.

In March, Trump signed an executive order focused on how history is presented. Then in August, the administration announced a review of the Smithsonian, starting with eight of its most-visited and high-profile museums and released a list of exhibits it took issue with.

Many focus on race, sexuality and immigration. One was an animated portrait of Anthony Fauci, the former National Institutes of Health official who became a frequent target of Trump.  A number of the exhibits flagged by the White House are no longer or never were put on display or were only posted online.

The goal of the review, a letter to the Smithsonian said, was to “celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”

In a statement to USA TODAY, the White House reiterated it was “committed to rooting out Woke and divisive ideology in our government and institutions.”

“Our Smithsonian should exhibit history in an accurate, honest, and factual way,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said.

The review is expected to be finished in early 2026, and the institution has said it plans to “continue to collaborate constructively with the White House.” The administration has not yet ordered the removal of any items. 

The Smithsonian did not return a request for comment from USA TODAY.

Whatever the changes, they could ripple far beyond the Smithsonian.

Stephanie Brown, a historian and museologist who left her post as assistant director of museum studies at Johns Hopkins University earlier this year, described the Smithsonian Institution as the “flagship” other museums across the country follow.

“Part of a museum’s job, especially the Smithsonian’s job, is reflecting the nation, reflecting who we are as a people,” Brown said. “And who we are as a people is a pretty messy thing.”

Amid the review, USA TODAY in late August visited five Smithsonian locations in Washington, DC, that are among the first to undergo a review by the Trump administration to document and describe many of the exhibits.

We interviewed nearly 50 museumgoers on the sidewalks of the National Mall while members of the National Guard and federal agents patrolled nearby, another one of Trump’s recent directives.

Many said they were confused and troubled by the accusations that the museums are too woke. Broadly, they said they believed the Smithsonian museums present a balanced view of American history.

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