Trump administration seeks to rewrite U.S. history

Over the past few weeks, US President Donald Trump has been pretty vocal about the Smithsonian Institution. He thinks its exhibits paint America in an overly gloomy light too much about slavery and migration, not enough about the nation’s wins. But isn’t history supposed to show the full picture, good and bad?

The Smithsonian doesn’t exactly shy away from that full picture. As a huge network of museums and research hubs, it’s built to tell the story in all its layers. Sometimes that means pride and progress; sometimes it means reckoning with darker truths—slavery, migration, inequality. That mix is intentional, not accidental.

A polarising debate

Here’s where it gets interesting: US President Trump’s comments have ballooned into a much bigger question,how do we want history told in public? Smithsonian supporters say, look, if you skip the painful stuff, you end up with a history lesson that’s basically PR. And really, what good is that?

On the other hand, Trump’s critics argue this isn’t just about presentation—it’s about rewriting. By toning down or ignoring the hard chapters, they warn, institutions risk turning history into a tidy, feel-good story. And honestly, that’s not history—it’s spin.

Institutional response

So how’s the Smithsonian handling it? By doubling down. Leaders insist their mission is teaching, not political theatre. They say bringing in multiple voices—including the painful ones—is what gets people thinking. Exhibits aren’t speeches; they’re mirrors. Sometimes they reflect things we’d rather not see, but that’s the point.

A broader conversation

At the end of the day, this is bigger than museum walls. It’s about memory, about whose version of the past gets passed along. In today’s fractured climate, those questions feel heavier than ever, and for the Smithsonian, the balancing act isn’t going away anytime soon,tell history honestly, while pushing back against the weight of politics.

Video partner: DW