Smithsonian revises exhibit on presidential power, removes Trump impeachment details after WH pressure
WASHINGTON, DC: Mentions of President Donald Trump’s two impeachments have been quietly removed from an exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, reportedly after pressure from the White House.
The decision, which affects a display on presidential power, has raised concerns about political interference in cultural institutions and the sanitization of recent history.
The modified exhibit, titled “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden,” originally included a temporary placard discussing the impeachments of Trump. That section has now been revised to reflect its earlier 2008 form, omitting Trump’s proceedings entirely.
White House reportedly pushed for the removal of an art museum director
A source with knowledge of the decision said the removal took place during a content review initiated after the White House pushed for the removal of an art museum director, as reported by The Washington Post.
In March, Trump sharply criticized the Smithsonian for promoting what he called “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”
“In reviewing our legacy content recently, it became clear that the 'Limits of Presidential Power' section in The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibition needed to be addressed,” a Smithsonian spokesperson said. “Because the other topics in this section had not been updated since 2008, the decision was made to restore the Impeachment case back to its 2008 appearance.”
The now-removed placard had been added in September 2021, shortly after Trump’s second impeachment, to contextualize his presidency alongside those of Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Richard Nixon, who resigned before a formal impeachment vote. The exhibit now simply states that “only three presidents have seriously faced removal.”
Donald Trump administration reshapes cultural landscape
The change is part of a broader effort by Donald Trump to assert more direct control over national cultural institutions.
In March, he signed an executive order calling for the elimination of “anti-American ideology” from Smithsonian museums and pledged to “restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness.”
This came alongside changes at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as budget cuts for the National Park Service.
Observers fear the updated exhibit reflects a growing effort by the Trump administration to shape how recent political history is remembered.
While the original impeachment section included photos and legal documents from Johnson’s 1868 trial and Clinton’s 1999 proceedings, all references to the impeachments of Trump are now gone.
The Smithsonian spokesperson insisted the decision was part of a broader review of outdated content, but critics warn it sets a dangerous precedent in how museums present politically sensitive history.
