Smithsonian restores Trump to impeachment display in museum with revisions
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A television monitor in the White House Press Briefing Room displays a recorded address by President Trump after the House of Representatives voted to impeach him on January 13, 2021. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History restored President Trump's name to its impeachment display with revisions, after having it removed from the installment last month.
Why it matters: The removal — and revised return — of Trump's name comes amid his administration's threats to the institution's funding, targeting initiatives and programs that contend with race, LGBTQ+ people or "improper ideology."
Zoom in: Trump's return to the impeachment case within the museum's "American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" exhibit came with some changes, photos that a Smithsonian spokesperson shared with Axios show.
- Edits include the addition of the word "alleged" in the placard's description of the actions that led to Trump's first impeachment. (Trump is the only president to be impeached twice.)
- The museum also updated a panel to include Trump's name alongside Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton's.
What they're saying: The Smithsonian spokesperson told Axios in a statement that Trump's removal was always meant to be temporary.
- A temporary placard, which had been in place from September 2021 until this July, was removed because it was "not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and blocked part of the case," the spokesperson said. "We removed it to make way for a more permanent update to the content inside the case."
- "The updated display now reflects all presidential impeachments. Adhering to principles foundational to our role as the nation's museum, we take great care to ensure that what we present to the public reflects both intellectual integrity and thoughtful design."
Yes, but: The Washington Post reported that the change was part of a content review the museum agreed to following White House pressure to remove an art museum director.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the removal "pathetic" during Senate floor remarks last week.
- "This is a man rewriting history or thinking he can rewrite history, " Schumer said of Trump. "He can't, but he thinks he can."
The other side: Lindsey Halligan, a White House official told The Post that the White House wasn't involved with the changes.
- "That said, it's encouraging to see the institution taking steps that align with President Trump's Executive Order to restore truth to American History," she said, also noting that Trump was acquitted twice by Senate.
Zoom out: The Trump administration has sought to transform a wide range of institutions, including the Kennedy Center, universities and hospitals.
- Trump previously targeted the Smithsonian with a March executive order ordering its museums to decline to fund exhibits that "degrade shared American values."
- Trump announced in May that he was firing the National Portrait Gallery's director, Kim Sajet, whom the White House called "a strong supporter of DEI." Sajet resigned several weeks later, multiple outlets reported.
