The Trump administration has already made clear it will ensure the Smithsonian Institution aligns "with American ideals." On Tuesday, President Trump expounded thusly: "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 wrote on Truth Social. "Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future."
Trump went on to say that he's told his attorneys "to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities." The New York Times notes Trump's post came a week after he demanded the Smithsonian tweak its exhibits and language following an assessment on "tone" and "historical framing." The paper calls both actions in tandem "the latest example of Mr. Trump trying to impose his will on a cultural institution and minimize the experiences and history of Black people in the United States."
"It's the epitome of dumbness to criticize the Smithsonian for dealing with the reality of slavery in America," says presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. "It's what led to our Civil War and is a defining aspect of our national history." The Daily Beast reports on one high-profile retort to Trump's post, from CNN host Abby Phillip. "It's important to say, objectively, slavery was indeed bad. It was evil, the nation's original sin," Phillip noted later Tuesday on her show. "And it is impossible to understand the true history of this country without fully grappling with slavery's impact."
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