Kathrine Frich
The Smithsonian Institution is facing severe criticism from the current US administration.
When people visit a museum, they usually expect to see carefully preserved artifacts and read quiet plaques.
But sometimes the exhibits themselves become the center of a loud public fight.
A major national institution is currently finding itself right in the middle of a heated cultural debate.
Under heavy fire
The Smithsonian Institution is facing severe criticism from the current US administration. Politicians are turning up the heat. President Donald Trump and his team recently released a lengthy report aimed squarely at the famous museums.
The 162-page document goes by the title “Saving America’s Story.”
According to The Irish Star it specifically targets the National Museum of American History for what it calls inappropriate messaging.
This pushback began shortly after the president started his second term. Two months in, he signed an executive order demanding the removal of what he deemed divisive or anti-American ideas from the museum halls.
Last August, the White House then announced a massive review of everything the institution puts on display.
A question of trust
The new government report pulls no punches. The authors claim the organization has completely lost its way.
“The Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic,” the document reads.
The report suggests the staff is pushing a specific agenda instead of simply teaching history.
“As this report shows, confirmed in the words of Museum leadership, this ideological capture has moved the Museum’s mission away from straightforward historical education and scholarship toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country,” the authors wrote.
Pushing back
Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III quickly stepped up to defend his staff. He sent an internal email to employees, which The Washington Post recently reviewed.
Bunch told his team that the administration’s claims did not offer a “fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.” He reminded them of their core duties as public historians, insisting they remain dedicated to independence and nonpartisanship.
“As public servants and the keepers of this institution, we are charged with helping a nation find understanding, hope, and clarity, and as part of that duty, we are dedicated to excellence, reflection, and growth,” Bunch explained.
“At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy, and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story,” he added.
Sources: The Irish Star, The Washington Post, US News
