The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846, following the vision of British scientist James Smithson, who aimed for “the increase & diffusion of Knowledge among men.” Today, the institution encompasses 21 museums in Washington, DC, and over 200 affiliates across the United States, curating a remarkable 157 million objects. These museums not only preserve and distribute knowledge but also serve as arenas for discussion, debate, and controversy—hallmarks of any vital cultural institution. As John E. Simmons notes in Museums: A History (2022), museums have “evolved to become institutions in which objects and learning are associated to help human beings understand the world around them.” While such institutions often support official narratives, the Smithsonian, in a democratic context, has adhered to Simmons’s vision by prioritizing expertise over politics.
Throughout its nearly 200-year history, the Smithsonian has faced various controversies, particularly amid the ongoing Culture Wars. In 1991, right-wing critics labeled the exhibition The West as America, Reinterpreting Images of the Frontier, 1820-1920 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as anti-American. A 1995 exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum about the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, featuring the Enola Gay bomber, was criticized by veterans’ groups. The 2010 exhibition Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery, displaying work by LGBTQ+ artists, was denounced by conservatives as “anti-Christian” due to a video showing ants on a crucifix. In these cases, Republican politicians threatened to defund the institution, while public debates emerged around the role of museums. Despite the controversies, these exhibitions upheld Smithson’s original mission.
Last Friday marked a significant escalation in the Culture Wars when the Trump administration issued an executive order titled “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.” This order tasked several officials, including the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, with placing temporary signs on sidewalks leading to the National Museum of American History. These signs are meant to warn visitors of what the order calls “Ideological Capture.”
In past cultural disputes, politicians like Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond have voiced outrage over certain artworks, yet no other president has resorted to placing signs that discourage museum visits while promoting right-wing historical revisions. Trump’s criticism of Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, who has maintained the Smithsonian’s impartiality under pressure, reflects both frustration and a broader effort to erase references to slavery, racism, and discrimination from public monuments and parks.
The Trump administration, seemingly supported by controversial figures like Stephen Miller, aims to remove references to America’s history of slavery, genocide, militarism, and imperialism from Smithsonian exhibits, as well as diminish the achievements of marginalized communities. While this effort has not yet succeeded, the signage indicates potential future actions.
This escalation represents a departure from previous Culture Wars, as Trump and the Make America Great Again movement have dismantled past compromises. Despite former President Barack Obama’s vision of a unified America, the country now faces deeper divisions than seen since the Civil War.
Historically seen as liberal, institutions like the Smithsonian have been targets of conservative criticism, yet never has there been such a desire for a hostile takeover. Trump, who embodies reactionary beliefs, seeks the cultural legitimacy these institutions confer, despite his criticism of their audiences as elitist.
Critics might argue that any previous compromises were broken by the left, citing incidents like bakers being compelled to serve same-sex weddings or mask mandates during the pandemic. However, this perspective is flawed and insincere. Private beliefs can be held, but they should not interfere with public responsibilities, just as educators must teach students they disagree with politically.
Imagining a liberal equivalent to Trump’s signage outside the Smithsonian might involve placing “In This House We Believe” signs at evangelical churches or requiring Joe Rogan to acknowledge land rights on his podcast. However, Trump’s actions are a tangible reality. Unlike private media, the Smithsonian serves as a public institution where, as Jürgen Habermas described, “private people come together as a public.”
Some may claim the Smithsonian already reflects a political bias, but this argument overlooks the nuanced academic discourse that informs its exhibitions. Trump’s assertion that the Smithsonian is “OUT OF CONTROL” because of its portrayal of slavery is not a critique of politicization but an attempt to impose his own political agenda.
The Smithsonian’s mission, unlike that of the Creation Museum, is to uphold rigorous academic standards, not to align with a specific regime. As a publicly funded institution, it must represent the interests of the American people, not just those of the president or donors. Even if faced with opposition, the Smithsonian’s duty is to present exhibitions that align with academic truth, a commitment that costs nothing but is invaluable to preserving integrity.
