President Trump complains Smithsonian museums discuss ‘how bad Slavery was’

“Families didn’t vote for Trump to police museums or rant about exhibits showing the horrors of slavery,” said Brandon Weathersby, spokesperson for the American Bridge 21st Century.

In his latest targeting of the Smithsonian, President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the nation’s museums are too “woke” and complained that they discuss “how bad Slavery was.”

“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of “WOKE.” The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

The president claimed that the museums—all a part of the Smithsonian Institution, which was founded in 1846 and includes 21 museums, 21 libraries, more than a dozen education and research centers and zoos—do not highlight the “success” and “brightness” of the United States.

“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,” said Trump.

The president’s latest remarks regarding the Smithsonian comes days after he ordered an internal review of the Smithsonian to ensure that “divisive or partisan narratives” are removed from the nation’s museums. The review is in compliance with Trump’s March executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity in American History.”

Among the museums being targeted by the Trump White House is the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened its doors in 2016. The museum remains one of the most popular among the Smithsonian and surpassed 10 million visitors in 2023 after only seven years.

Trump’s targeting of Black history in schools and now the nation’s museums has garnered much condemnation.

In response to the president’s remarks about slavery, former Biden White House Public Engagement chief of staff Erica P. Loewe told theGrio, “This is an obvious attempt to whitewash history and silence voices that don’t fit President Trump’s narrative. Censoring museums will not erase the truth. It will only ensure Trump is remembered as the coward who feared it.”

She added, “Museums tell America’s story. President Trump just doesn’t want his chapter read aloud.”

Brandon Weathersby, spokesperson for the American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic research firm, told theGrio, “Families didn’t vote for Trump to police museums or rant about exhibits showing the horrors of slavery.” He continued, “They voted for lower prices, good-paying jobs, and a better future for their kids.”

Weathersby said the president is “obsessing over historically accurate exhibits while Americans struggle to keep up with soaring costs at the grocery store.” He added, “Next year, Congressional Republicans will have to explain to their constituents why they’re still supporting Trump’s culture war fixation instead of delivering real solutions for working families.”

After Trump called for an internal review of several Smithsonian museums, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., who is co-chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, said the Smithsonian has an “impartial role and responsibility” to ensure an “accurate, and resonant telling of American history.”

“Trump has no right to censor our history, ignore the systemic oppression of marginalized people, and attack our intellectual freedom,” Pressley said in a statement. “Much like his disgraceful rollbacks of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and his campaign to ban books, this action is yet another attempt to whitewash our shared history and replace the challenges and triumphs of women, people of color, and Native Americans with false narratives forged with white supremacist ideology.”

The congresswoman added, “Black History is American history, and no amount of white-washing or erasure will change the truth.”