Trump criticizes museums for promoting 'woke' culture
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump called museums the “the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE’” and criticized their focus on narratives that highlight "how horrible our country is" instead of highlighting their success.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (Archive)
President Donald Trump lashed out at the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., accusing them of being "out of control" for presenting content that he says portrays America in a negative light.
In a post on his Truth Social account on Tuesday, Trump called the museums the “the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE’” and criticized their focus on narratives that highlight "how horrible our country is" instead of highlighting its success and brilliance.
“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,” wrote the Republican. In response, he announced that he has instructed his attorneys to review the museums in the same way he did the universities.
Last week, the White House issued a letter ordering a comprehensive review of eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of the American Indian, among others.
The directive seeks the "alignment" of exhibits with American ideals and to "celebrate American exceptionalism” and eliminating what it describes as "divisive or partisan narratives.” The letter requires museums to replace content deemed "ideologically driven” with "unifying, historically accurate” depictions within 120 days.
Not the first time
After the uproar, the exhibit was restored and updated to include information about those proceedings. The Smithsonian, for its part, issued a statement defending its commitment to "scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history.”
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