The Trump administration ordered a “comprehensive review” of eight Smithsonian museums in August 2025, demanding they replace “divisive or ideologically driven language” within 120 days^[1]. The White House letter requires museums to submit exhibition texts, social media content, and curatorial processes for review to ensure they “celebrate American exceptionalism”^[1:1].

This follows Trump’s March 2025 executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” which criticized the Smithsonian for promoting “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive”^[2].

Twenty-one state attorneys general sued to block these actions, arguing the administration is illegally dismantling federal agencies that Congress established^[3][4]. The Government Accountability Office found in June 2025 that Trump’s attempts to withhold museum funding violated federal law^[5].

Earlier actions included removing references to Trump’s impeachments from a Smithsonian exhibit and the resignation of the National Portrait Gallery director after disputes over diversity initiatives^[1:2]. Artist Amy Sherald canceled an exhibition after concerns the museum would not show her portrait of a transgender woman^[1:3].