Trump Declares War On The Smithsonian For Teaching History

Looks like President Trump’s started another war, this time with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Over the weekend, the White House issued a report claiming that the museum is being captured by “radical, activist ideology,” claiming, among other things, that it’s become “anti-white,” pro-“illegal alien” and pro-transgender, Deadline reports.

While it’s unclear what set the president off, the museum features all kinds of historical artifacts including “the original Star Spangled Banner, first ladies’ inaugural gowns and Abraham Lincoln’s top hat — also includes a wing, Entertainment Nation, that features a gallery of pop culture artifacts.”

There is also a pop culture wing called Entertainment Nation which features Ruby’s red slippers and Star Wars droids. This section was singled out in the White House report titled “Saving America’s Story,” for the way they decided to preserve bits of American showbiz. 

The report took issue with just about everything that included an accurate telling of America’s sordid past. It cited issues with Broadway darling Hamilton calling it “didactic” and claimed that the musical reduced founding father Alexander Hamilton to a “flawed” person since he owned slaves “while providing no information about his key roles in America’s Founding and early development.”

It also objected to exhibits discussing the racial legacy of P.T. Barnum’s circus, the colonial history behind the ukulele, the portrayal of Indigenous people in Wild West shows, and the connection between Mickey Mouse and blackface minstrelsy. The report further criticized the museum for highlighting LGBTQ figures and addressing issues such as race, gender, immigration, and inequality, arguing those themes dominate its historical interpretation.

The Smithsonian defended its work, saying it remains committed to “nonpartisan and independent scholarship.”

The criticism follows President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which called for reshaping how American history is presented. Historians and academic organizations warned the order could politicize museums by replacing nuanced history with a simplified, patriotic narrative that minimizes the nation’s conflicts, diversity, and ongoing struggles.

See social media’s reaction to Trump’s latest move below.