Key Takeaways
- Taxpayer Accountability: Trump argues that federally funded museums should reflect American exceptionalism, not partisan ideology.
- Cultural Course Correction: The administration has ordered eight Smithsonian museums to replace divisive exhibits with unifying, historically accurate content.
- Battle Against Wokeism: Trump warns that institutions obsessed with negativity risk losing public trust—reminding Americans that “Woke is Broke.”
President Donald Trump is once again calling out America’s cultural gatekeepers—and this time, the Smithsonian museums are in his crosshairs.
“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He blasted the Smithsonian as “OUT OF CONTROL” for obsessing over slavery and victimhood narratives while ignoring the nation’s triumphs. “Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” he added, warning that “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE.”
The White House has already launched a review to bring Smithsonian exhibits into “alignment” with Trump’s directive: highlight American exceptionalism, strip out partisan messaging, and restore pride in our cultural institutions. Eight major museums—including the National Museum of American History and the National Portrait Gallery—are now under orders to ensure content is “unifying, historically accurate,” and forward-looking.
Democrats, predictably, were quick to sneer. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) accused Trump of ignorance, saying “‘How bad slavery was’ is exactly what someone who has never been to a museum would say.”
But here’s the reality: taxpayers fund these museums. That means Americans shouldn’t be subjected to activist propaganda dressed up as history. From aerospace innovation to military victories, the United States has more than enough achievements to fill display halls with pride, not guilt.
Trump’s message is clear: our museums should inspire, not indoctrinate. If universities can be pulled back from the brink of woke decline, so can the Smithsonian.