Trump White House Calls Out Smithsonian For Pushing 'one-sided, Divisive Political Narratives'

EXCLUSIVE: The Trump management is turning its attraction to nan Smithsonian Institution, accusing nan taxpayer-funded museum analyzable of utilizing national dollars to beforehand what it calls "one-sided, divisive governmental narratives" that neglect to grant nan greatness of nan American story.

C-3PO and R2-D2 costumes are shown astatine nan Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History pinch a sheet crediting Star Wars for inspiring America during post-Vietnam uncertainty and nan Nixon-era scandal. (Fox News Digital)

The White House connection comes connected nan heels of respective striking examples from nan exhibit. 

One placard, featured alongside a 1923 circus poster, reads: "Under nan large top, circuses expressed nan assemblage impulse to declare dominion complete nan world." Another, describing early American entertainment, declares: "One of nan earliest defining traits of intermezo successful nan United States was bonzer violence."

The grounds reframes iconic American characters done a critical, politically-charged lens. On The Lone Ranger, nan show states: "The White title character’s narration pinch Tonto resembled really nan U.S. authorities imagined itself nan world’s Lone Ranger."

Mickey Mouse, a beloved American taste icon, is not spared either. A show for nan 1928 animation Steamboat Willie states, "Mickey challenged authority, but not everyone was successful connected nan joke."

It continues: "Mickey Mouse debuted arsenic nan deckhand ‘Steamboat Willie’ successful 1928, amidst a rising worry felt by galore that modern surviving and metropolis life were eroding family and organization ties and loosening civilized codes… But nan caller character’s outsized facial features, achromatic gloves, and trickster temperament were vestiges of longstanding traditions of blackface minstrelsy."

A Smithsonian grounds placard from nan National Museum of American History describes 1920s circus performances arsenic expressing "the assemblage impulse to declare dominion complete nan world."  (Fox News Digital)

One sheet calls Magnum, P.I. a situation to nan "popular perceptions of Vietnam veterans arsenic damaged misfits." A conception connected Jon Stewart’s Daily Show refers to it arsenic "the go-to for viewers who mistrusted politicians and nan reporting process."

Another sheet highlights nan precocious popular prima Selena Quintanilla-Pérez and frames her taste effect done personality politics.

"Selena sewage america talking astir identity," pinch a quote from nan precocious vocalist reading, "I consciousness very proud to beryllium Mexican."

The matter goes connected to opportunity her activity "cast a ray connected nan longstanding taste and increasing governmental power of Mexican American and Latinx communities wrong nan United States."

"The examples [Fox News Digital] highlighted from nan National Museum of American History are portion of nan problem nan Trump Administration intends to fix," Halligan said. "Framing American civilization arsenic inherently violent, imperialist, aliases racist does not bespeak nan greatness of our federation aliases nan millions of Americans who person contributed to its progress."

A show astatine nan Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History explores changing gender norms, featuring Mae West, Judy Garland, and Olympic swimmer Gertrude Ederle. The backdrop includes a quote successful English and Spanish: "When I’m bad, I’m better." (Fox News Digital)

Halligan confirmed that a top-to-bottom contented reappraisal is already underway, pinch input from elder Smithsonian leaders and nan Board of Regents. "We are moving pinch activity astatine nan Smithsonian to audit and reappraisal each contented astatine nan museums," she said, "and we are committed to ensuring that specified contented honors our country’s founding principles, tells nan stories of American heroes, and does not beforehand fringe aliases activistic ideologies masquerading arsenic history."

She added, "We will supply updates connected this audit arsenic our advancement unfolds."

The Smithsonian Institution responded to Fox News Digital pinch nan pursuing little written statement: "The depository is committed to continuous and rigorous danasiwa and investigation and unbiased position of facts and history. As such, and arsenic antecedently announced, we are assessing contented successful Smithsonian museums and will make immoderate basal changes to guarantee our contented meets our standards."

The Institution did not reply circumstantial questions regarding who authored nan Entertainment Nation exhibit, whether extracurricular world consultants aliases activistic organizations were involved, aliases who made nan determination to coming each grounds matter bilingually successful English and Spanish.

The contention comes amid a broader push by President Donald Trump to reshape taste institutions he says person veered excessively acold left. 

In March, Trump issued an executive bid directing nan Board of Regents to destruct "improper, divisive aliases anti-American ideology" from Smithsonian museums. He accused nan institution of embracing what he called "a revisionist movement" aimed astatine "undermining nan singular achievements of nan United States by casting its founding principles and humanities milestones successful a antagonistic light."

The Board of Regents includes nan vice president, nan main justness of nan United States, six members of Congress, and 9 national regents. 

Vice President J.D. Vance and Congressman Carlos Giménez, some caller appointees, person advocated for an expedited reappraisal of Smithsonian content. Giménez, successful a anterior question and reply pinch The Wall Street Journal, confirmed tensions astatine nan board’s June gathering complete really quickly to proceed, though yet a discuss was reached.

The Smithsonian receives astir two-thirds of its $1 cardinal yearly fund from national appropriations. 

The Entertainment Nation grounds opened successful December 2022 and was billed arsenic a imperishable accumulation to "celebrate nan powerfulness of celebrated civilization to style and bespeak history." It is housed successful a premier abstraction connected nan museum’s westbound helping and features artifacts and media from movies, television, sports, and music.

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While nan museum’s stated extremity is to research really intermezo intersects pinch American identity, nan Trump management argues that it alternatively uses civilization to smuggle successful ideology often astatine likelihood pinch nan values astir Americans hold.

"Americans merit a Smithsonian that inspires nationalist pride, tells nan truth, and reflects nan greatness of this country," Halligan said. "Not 1 that serves arsenic an supplier for societal alteration and taste subversion."