President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed the White House is conducting a review of the Smithsonian museums and expressed frustration over their portrayal of dark parts of America’s history, including slavery.
“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,” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
“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,” Trump added. “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.”
The Smithsonian declined to comment.
President Donald J Trump speaks during a Multilateral Meeting with European leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, August 18, 2025.
Aaron Schwartz/EPA/Shutterstock
ABC News reported last week that the White House planned to do a wide-ranging review of the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibitions and operations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary next year.
In a letter sent to Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the White House wrote that it wants to ensure that the museums “reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story.”
When Trump visited The National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2017, he had a different opinion about the discussion of slavery in the museum.
In his remarks that day he praised Bunch, the current secretary of the Smithsonian who was then the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Trump referred to the museum as “incredible,” “done with love,” and a “truly great museum.”
He praised abolitionist figures Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. He even recounted a story he’d learned about a runaway slave. He called the tour of the museum “a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms.”
The White House review is said to be focused on eight museums, including The National Museum of African American History and Culture, The National Museum of American History, The National Museum of Natural History, The National Museum of the American Indian, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, The National Air and Space Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Trump signed an executive order back in March directing Vice President JD Vance and Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the Smithsonian.
Last week, ABC News visited the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History and National Museum of African American History and Culture, and took photographs of multiple exhibits displayed information and historical artifacts about slavery, segregation and the civil rights movement.
Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Emily Chang/ABC News
Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
Emily Chang/ABC News
Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
Emily Chang/ABC News
Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
Emily Chang/ABC News
ABC News’ Averi Harper, Hannah Demissie and Emily Chang contributed to this report.
