President Donald Trump was called out after he doubled down on his criticism of the Smithsonian museums in a rambling post on Truth Social on Tuesday, saying they've focused too much on "how bad slavery was" instead of promoting his view of American excellence.
A White House official who spoke to NBC News said Trump's call for a comprehensive review would extended to all museums, pledging that Trump will hold the Smithsonian "accountable" and "then go from there."
And indeed, Trump said he would subject the museums to “the exact same process” his administration has used on universities like Columbia and Harvard, aiming to make the Smithsonian less “woke.”
He said:
"The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of "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 — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”
“We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made."
"This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the "HOTTEST" Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums."
You can see Trump's post below.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Trump's remarks are an affront to the historical record.
Slavery was in fact a brutal legal institution, comprising the enslavement of Blacks who were kidnapped from their homes and families and forced to reside in a foreign land where they served as the economic backbone of the American South.
The treatment of slaves in the United States varied widely depending on conditions, time, and place, but in general it was brutal, especially on plantations. Whippings and rape were routine. The asymmetrical power dynamics between enslaved Blacks and white slaveowners gave whites both de facto and de jure freedoms to bend their property to their will.
And his words are reflective of the wider wave within a far-right movement that has come under fire for presenting a revisionist and misleading view of history, downplaying the profound impact of slavery and omitting key complexities surrounding the Founding Fathers' attitudes and actions toward it.
Many have condemned his statements.
Trump's words came just days after his administration said they would oversee a review of the Smithsonian's exhibitions to ensure they fit his historical vision.
A letter from Trump officials to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch said the White House wants museum programs to reflect “unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story.”
Under a March executive order, museums now have 120 days to strip out anything deemed “divisive or ideologically driven” and replace it with “unifying, historically accurate and constructive” descriptions.
