US President Donald Trump has launched new criticism of the Smithsonian Institution, saying that the largest museum and research complex in the country has paid too much attention to historical oppression and not enough to the people who overcame it.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that under his current leadership, the Smithsonian has focused “overwhelmingly” on the oppressed, while he said he paid little attention to people who had managed to overcome difficult trials.
The statement is another episode in the ongoing dispute between the Trump administration and one of the most significant cultural institutions in the United States.
Trump wants five years dedicated to George Washington
The American president called on the Smithsonian to organize a special five-year exhibition dedicated to the life and legacy of George Washington at the National Museum of American History in Washington.
According to the proposal, the exhibition should begin immediately and continue until February 22, 2032, when the 300th anniversary of the birth of the first US president will be celebrated.
Trump defined Washington as the greatest American hero and demanded that the Smithsonian erect a 30-foot, or approximately 9-meter, statue in front of the museum statue of the first American president.
He also requested that another, 11-foot statue of Washington be displayed in the museum's Flag Hall, related to the events marking the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence.
Pressure on Smithsonian has been ongoing for months
The criticism is not an isolated incident. The Trump administration has been pushing the Smithsonian for months to change the way it presents American history.
In July, the White House issued an executive order titled “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution“. In it, the administration accuses the institution's leadership of presenting US history through the prism of social justice and paying excessive attention to topics such as slavery, racial discrimination and other forms of historical oppression.
The White House has ordered measures to be taken to change this approach and has requested that temporary information signs be placed around the National Museum of American History representing the administration's position.
These statements are the position of the White House, not an independently established assessment of the Smithsonian's content.
Historians and civil rights organizations object
The administration's actions have drawn criticism from historians, museum professionals and civil rights organizations.
According to opponents of Trump's policy, the attempt to limit the presentation of slavery, racism and other controversial periods of America's past risks turning history museums into a tool for a politically preferred version of national history.
On the other hand, the White House claims that the goal is to present American history in a way that emphasizes national achievements, common heritage, and individuals who contributed to the development of the country.
The dispute thus goes beyond museum policy and becomes part of a broader debate in the United States about how slavery, racial segregation, civil rights, and other controversial pages of history should be presented.
Smithsonian Director Resigns
Trump's new criticism comes just days after Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced that he would retire at the end of 2026.
Bunch has led the institution since 2019 and is the first African American to hold this position. He previously served as the founder and director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Bunch said his decision to step down was not a direct result of pressure from the White House. Throughout his tenure, he championed the Smithsonian's need to showcase the complex and controversial aspects of American history alongside the country's achievements.
One of the most important cultural institutions in the United States
The Smithsonian Institution operates 21 museums and the National Zoo, as well as research and education facilities. Among them are the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the National Air and Space Museum.
So the controversy over the Smithsonian has implications far beyond the content of a single exhibition.
At its heart is the question of who should tell the national story of the United States and how. Trump has pushed for a stronger emphasis on heroes, achievements and overcoming difficulties. His critics have warned that such an approach should not lead to the downplaying of slavery, racial discrimination and other historical facts.
So far, the Smithsonian has not announced whether it will fulfill the president's specific request for a five-year exhibition and a 30-foot statue of George Washington.