Trump to probe Smithsonian museums for 'woke' ideology

Trump to probe Smithsonian museums for ‘woke’ ideology

President Donald Trump has promised to crack down on “woke” ideas promoted in museums across the United States, including the federally funded Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C.

“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 in a social media post Tuesday.

Trump promised to bring legal action, similar to what his administration has done against universities like Harvard, to rid its practices from the nation’s museums.

The Smithsonian’s fiscal year 2024 federal budget totaled $1.09 billion for its 21 museums, libraries, research centers and the national zoo in Washington, D.C.

Across 21 sites, the Smithsonian boasted between 20 to 30 million visitors each year until the COVID-19 pandemic led to a steep decline in visitors between 2020 and 2021. The number of visitors has steadily increased in recent years but still has not surpassed 18 million visitors in a single year since the pandemic.

The White House has since highlighted several examples of Smithsonian exhibits and features it deems as “anti-American.”

Some examples include:

The National Portrait Gallery featuring art that displays the act of illegally crossing the Southern borderThe American History Museum featuring LGBTQ+ exhibit material including information on identities like “third sex” and pride flags flying from the tops of museums.The National Portrait Gallery was set to feature the painting of a transgender statute of liberty before the artist withdrew it.The National Museum of the American Latino features programming with content from “A disabled plus size actress” and an “ambulatory wheelchair user” who “educates on their identity being Latinx, LGBTQ+, and disabled.”

“The Smithsonian’s embrace of woke ideology distorts history and erodes public trust,” a White House news release said. “It increasingly prioritizes exhibits that undermine our values and rewrite the American story through a lens of grievance and exclusion.”

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-NC, rebuked the Trump administration’s efforts to address the ideology present in the Smithsonian’s museums.

“Museums are centers of preservation, of culture, of speaking unapologetically to the history of our country,” Adams said. “Museums were never built for comfort. They’re built for learning, understanding, and chronicling the truth of our past.”

It is unclear how the White House will go about changing the “woke ideology” it says is present in the Smithsonian’s museums. The Smithsonian declined The Center Square’s request for comment to discuss details of the Trump administration’s proposed plan.

The White House did not share specific cost details of the administration’s plans for the Smithsonian museums with The Center Square when asked for comment.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Illinois GOP U.S. Senate candidates point to economy, Trump gains

Illinois GOP U.S. Senate candidates point to economy, Trump gains

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Economic issues are front and center for Republican U.S. Senate candidates in Illinois. Former Illinois GOP Chairman...
Lawmaker criticizes $500 student board scholarships amid lowered K‑12 standards

Lawmaker criticizes $500 student board scholarships amid lowered K‑12 standards

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois student leaders serving on state higher education boards will now receive $500-per-semester scholarships under a...
Illinois news in brief: Work begins on $1.5 billion O'Hare expansion; Police catch man accused of road rage, shooting

Illinois news in brief: Work begins on $1.5 billion O’Hare expansion; Police catch man accused of road rage, shooting

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Work begins on $1.5 billion O'Hare expansion A new round of construction has begun at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. Airline...
Newsom files FOIA request on border patrol's appearance

Newsom files FOIA request on border patrol’s appearance

By Jamie ParsonsThe Center Square California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is submitting a Freedom of Information Act request for details regarding the Trump administration’s decision to send U.S. Customs and...
Soaring utility bills, solar federal tax credit cuts dominate Illinois energy debate

Soaring utility bills, solar federal tax credit cuts dominate Illinois energy debate

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Energy prices and clean energy policy took center stage during a senate energy and public utilities...
Illinois quick hits: Pritzker signs crypto regulations

Illinois quick hits: Pritzker signs crypto regulations

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Pritzker signs crypto regulations Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed two laws to regulate cryptocurrency. Senate Bill 1797 requires cryptocurrency companies to...
Trucking industry leader: New law may drive business out of Illinois

Trucking industry leader: New law may drive business out of Illinois

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A trucking industry leader says more businesses may leave Illinois after the signing of Senate Bill 328....
DEA targets drug smuggling corridors in work with Mexico

DEA targets drug smuggling corridors in work with Mexico

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Drug Enforcement Administration officials plan to work with their counterparts in Mexico to target the gatekeepers of the smuggling corridors between the two nations. The...
Planned restart of California oil production faces legal challenges

Planned restart of California oil production faces legal challenges

By Alton WallaceThe Center Square Oil and gas production resumed on May 15 that had been out of service for 10 years after an oil spill off the California coast,...
Derailment disrupts train service for Chicago, New York, Washington, Miami

Derailment disrupts train service for Chicago, New York, Washington, Miami

By Alan Wooten | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Passenger train service involving routes to Chicago, Miami and New York is on hold because of a...
Senate pledges economic support for Russia-Ukraine deal as govt funding talks stall

Senate pledges economic support for Russia-Ukraine deal as govt funding talks stall

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square As Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over how to fund the government for fiscal 2026 and prevent a shutdown, Senate leaders remain united on one...
Democratic candidates focus on national politics in campaign for U.S. Senate

Democratic candidates focus on national politics in campaign for U.S. Senate

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois’ Democratic Party candidates for U.S. Senate have focused their campaigns on opposition to Republicans and President...
Arizona Chamber praises new interstate natural gas pipeline

Arizona Chamber praises new interstate natural gas pipeline

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry is excited about the future, thanks to a deal between state utilities and Transwestern Pipeline Co. The company...
Dems oppose Trump's bid to end mail-in ballots, voting machines

Dems oppose Trump’s bid to end mail-in ballots, voting machines

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Casting a ballot may look different for millions of American voters in the 2026 midterm elections if Republican-led states follow President Donald Trump’s wish to...
After two weeks fleeing Texas, House Democrats return, quorum reached

After two weeks fleeing Texas, House Democrats return, quorum reached

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square After two weeks fleeing the state, many Texas House Democrats returned, and a quorum was reached on Monday. More than two dozen Democrats still didn’t...