White House Reviewing Smithsonian Exhibits To Make Sure They Align With Trump's Vision

The White House is conducting an expansive reappraisal of nan Smithsonian's museum exhibitions, materials and operations up of America’s 250th day to guarantee it aligns pinch President Donald Trump's views of history, an management charismatic confirmed to NBC News.

The assessment, which was first reported by nan Wall Street Journal, will see reviews of depository exhibitions, online content, soul curatorial processes, accumulation planning, nan usage of collections and creator grants, and wording related to depository grounds messaging, nan charismatic said.

The Smithsonian Institution includes 21 museums, 14 acquisition and investigation centers and nan National Zoo.

The news of nan reappraisal was outlined successful a missive dated Tuesday and sent to Lonnie Bunch, nan caput of nan Smithsonian Institution. White House elder subordinate Lindsey Halligan, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and White House Office of Management and Budget head Russ Vought signed nan letter.

“This inaugural intends to guarantee alignment pinch nan president’s directive to observe American exceptionalism, region divisive aliases partisan narratives, and reconstruct assurance successful our shared taste institutions,” nan management charismatic quoted nan missive arsenic saying.

The charismatic said nan reappraisal is aimed astatine making judge nan museums bespeak nan “unity, progress, and enduring values that specify nan American story” and bespeak nan president’s executive bid calling for “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”

That order, which was signed connected March 27, calls for removing "improper ideology" from nan Smithsonian museums and nan National Zoo.

“This is astir preserving spot successful 1 of our astir cherished institutions," Halligan said successful a statement. "The Smithsonian museums and exhibits should beryllium accurate, patriotic, and enlightening—ensuring they stay places of learning, wonder, and nationalist pridefulness for generations to come.”

The impeachment accumulation astatine The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, connected Aug. 1.Andrew Leyden / ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters

NBC News reported successful May that humanities leaders and critics were questioning why exhibits astatine nan Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture connected nan National Mall were rotating out. NBC News recovered astatine slightest 32 artifacts that were erstwhile connected show had been removed.

Among those items were Harriet Tubman’s book of hymns filled pinch gospels that she is believed to person sung arsenic she led enslaved group to state done nan underground railroad, and nan “Narrative of nan Life of Frederick Douglass,” nan memoir by 1 of nan astir important leaders successful nan abolition movement.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History besides recently made headlines aft it removed a placard referring to Trump from an impeachment exhibit, sparking concerns complete his power connected nan taste institution. Mention of his 2 impeachments was later restored to nan grounds aft disapproval of nan removal.

In a statement, nan Smithsonian said that nan grounds was temporarily removed because it"did not meet nan museum’s standards successful appearance, location, timeline, and wide presentation.

“It was not accordant pinch different sections successful nan grounds and moreover blocked nan position of nan objects wrong its case. For these reasons, we removed nan placard," nan connection added.

Trump's executive bid called for changes astatine nan depository system, charging that nan “Smithsonian Institution has, successful caller years, travel nether nan power of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This displacement has promoted narratives that represent American and Western values arsenic inherently harmful and oppressive.”

“[W]e will reconstruct nan Smithsonian Institution to its rightful spot arsenic a awesome of inspiration and American greatness –- igniting nan imagination of young minds, honoring nan richness of American history and innovation, and instilling pridefulness successful nan hearts of each Americans,” nan bid said.

Trump has besides gotten much progressive astatine different federally controlled D.C. institution, nan John F. Kennedy Center for nan Performing Arts.

He has named himself the Kennedy Center president and fired nan erstwhile bipartisan committee of trustees aft vowing location would beryllium nary "anti-American propaganda" astatine nan venue.

“We don’t request woke astatine nan Kennedy Center,” he said successful February.

House Republicans person moved to rename nan halfway the “Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts,” but nan rule creating nan halfway prohibits immoderate of nan accommodation from being renamed.

Trump seemed to admit nan House effort successful a station connected Truth Social Tuesday.

"GREAT Nominees for nan TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS. They will beryllium announced Wednesday," he wrote.