Trump Wants To Whitewash American History Prior To 250th Anniversary Of Independence
Personally, I think one could write everything Trump knows about American history on the back of a small napkin, so someone(s) have gotten in his ear. I think those someones rhyme with Beritage Moundation.
Ideologically obsessed right wingers like them and the Claremont Institute cannot stand the fact that over the past half century multiculturalism and diversity of viewpoint have gradually been added into how US history is perceived and taught. Now, at the doorstep of an important milestone Trump wants to "purify" the past.
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Trump administration launches Smithsonian review to remove 'divisive' materials
Trump administration launches Smithsonian review to remove 'divisive' materials
The Trump administration is launching a "comprehensive" review of the Smithsonian Institution, taking a microscope to the nation's premier museum system amid a culture war campaign that has targeted leading American institutions.
Administration officials sent a letter on Aug. 12 to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III announcing there would be a review to determine if the Institution's materials conformed to the Trump administration's views on teaching history.
"This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions," the letter states.
The letter sets a timeline for the Smithsonian to turn over materials for review and make changes. It states that within 120 days, the Smithsonian is expected to begin making "content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions."
In a statement, the Smithsonian said it would "continue to collaborate constructively with the White House."
"The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history. We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind," the statement reads.
The review will focus on Smithsonian exhibits, along with the process for creating them. It is expected to be completed early next year, which is the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding.
The letter cites the anniversary, saying, "As we prepare to celebrate... it is more important thanever that our national museums reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define theAmerican story."
Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is a public-private partnership established by Congress. It has 21 museums, 14 education and research centers and includes the National Zoo. Federal funds make up about 62% of its budget, according to the Institution's website. It is governed by a 17-member Board of Regents that includes Vice President J.D. Vance, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, six members of Congress and nine members of the public.
The Trump administration's review will initially focus on eight museums, including the Museums of American History, African American History and Culture and Natural History, and the Museum of the American Indian.
Trump's second administration has been marked by an aggressive culture war campaign that has taken aim at institutions such as Harvard University, which is locked in a legal battle with the administration, and the Kennedy Center, where the president named himself chair. Trump has also targeted diversity efforts and transgender athletes.
The president laid the groundwork for the Smithsonian review with an executive order in March entitled "restoring truth and sanity to American history." The order includes a section called "Saving Our Smithsonian" that directs Vance to work with other administration officials on "seeking to remove improper ideology from such properties."
The executive order was met with criticism by some historians who questioned whether it would allow for a balanced and accurate telling of history.
The Smithsonian recently removed references to Trump from an exhibit on presidential impeachment but later restored them.
I will agree with the executive order if Trump can pass an eighth grade history test.
resident's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions
Nothing wrong with that.
Do you think that Donald Trump could pass an eighth grade history test? Yes or no.
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Trump wants to reinstitute monuments to traitors who fought and conspired to maintain slavery in this country. That is his conception of American history.
That's American Exceptionalism to him. The Confederates were the good guys, don't ya know?
They still call that war the War of Northern Aggression down here. Who fired on a federal fort? It wasn't Union troops
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www.mediaite.com /media/tv/david-axelrod-warns-of-trumps-stalinist-strong-arming-of-the-smithsonian-a-soviet-feel-to-it/
David Axelrod Warns of Trump’s ‘Stalinist’ Strong-Arming of the Smithsonian: ‘A Soviet Feel to It’
Michael Luciano 2-3 minutes 8/12/2025
CNN commentator David Axelrod deemed President Donald Trump’ s latest directive to the Smithsonian Institution “Stalinist” in nature.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration “plans to conduct a far-reaching review of Smithsonian museum exhibitions, materials and operations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary to ensure the museums align with President Trump’s interpretation of American history.”
White House officials sent a letter dated Aug. 12 to the Smithsonian’s chief, explaining, “This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the president’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”
The letter went on to state that exhibits at the network of museums “should be accurate, patriotic, and enlightening.”
Axelrod, a former Obama administration official, appeared on Tuesday’s AC360 on CNN, where he criticized the directive and also noted Trump’s decision to restore and re-display statues of Confederates that had been taken down in recent years.
“The statues he wants to restore are people who were fighting to retain slavery, and that is just a historical fact,” Axelrod said before pivoting back to the Smithsonian. “This has just kind of a soviet feel to it, Stalinist feel to it that you… take over cultural institutions and historical institutions, and you try and rewrite history.”
Axelrod went on to accuse Trump of “rewriting history every day, and he believes that you can do that.”
“This is all around the 250th anniversary of our Founding Fathers declaring themselves free of a mad king,” he concluded. “And you wonder what they would think coming back today and watching this.”
Last month, the Smithsonian removed Trump from its presidential impeachment exhibit after pressure from the White House. Trump’s name was later restored to the exhibit with some changes.
Do you imagine the smithosoian has been non political?
Trump says US history has to be non - divisive.
Is Robert E Lee a divisive historical figure? Trump has repeatedly praised people like Lee and demanded they be given a prominent place of respect in American history. Even if one likes Lee, you have to agree his legacy is "divisive". This same sort of viewpoint applies across broad swaths of American history.
Will Trump demand that people like Eugene Debs be removed from the nations museums, or that they be portrayed in a negative light?
He expressed the thought in 2017 that the ex slave abolitionist Frederick Douglas was still alive. Obviously he didnt know who Frederick Douglas was.
Trump is an 'author' of confusion and a 'builder' of lies. He and MAGA supporters remind me of those white conservative Southerners of the past. . . whom lied to their fellow citizens and neighbors to get what they wanted from them through hook and crook.
Pretty much every historical figures can be divisive. Progressives have taken down statues of people like US Grant. It’s all about context. If is a display is about the battle of Chancellorsville and the focus is on Lee owning slaves and not his tactical genius, than its divisive.
for instance, a display about MLKs march on Washington that focused on his plagiarism or participation in the sexual abuse of young women instead of the march would be divisive, right? It’d would be perfectly accurate history but would it’s inclusion when discussing an event he participated in be appropriate or needlessly divisive and distracting?
Well I guess you could say Abraham Lincoln is a divisive figure because all the southern states seceded from the union shortly after he got elected. "Divisive" to Trump means anything that suggest America is a multicultural society. With only a smattering of exceptions likely relating to economic issues and class, this effort to purge history is about race.
this effort to purge history is about race.
well, when the previous regimes have made race the only thing they focus on, some balance is in order. The American story is not exclusively about slavery.
US history can be divided into chronological segments, or eras. Nearly all of those eras have "race" as an important factor of what was happening. Not solely by any means, but important.
The biggest idiocy and nonsense of this Trump directive though is the requirement that history be non divisive. This from a man whose every sentence is divisive. As they say, you cant make this stuff up.
If Trump is so divisive, why did he do so well with minorities in the last election?
"Trump managed to garner 48% of the Latino vote compared to Harris’ 51% share and significantly jumped past the 36% clip that he got during in the 2020 presidential election. The study’s results reveal that the initial 2024 exit polls actually underestimated Latinos’ Trump support, with the Republican candidate tracking at 46% of the Latino vote on Election Day.
Additionally, 47% of naturalized citizens of all ethnic backgrounds voted for Trump in 2024, compared with 38% in 2020. In that same voting bloc 51% voted for Harris in 2024, a notable drop from the 59% who voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
Hispanic naturalized citizens recorded a 12% bump in voting for Trump, jumping from 39% in 2020 to 51% in 2024."
Pew Research shows 48% of Latinos voted for Trump in 2024 election. Experts have theories - Los Angeles Times
I think you confused Trump with someone else.
Because he campaigned on the Fears he stoked through his LIES and exaggerations.
People's most pressing issue was the high costs of everything, and all Trump has done is increase those high costs and it will get much worse.
He told US he would get rid of all the evil criminals here illegally, yet, he is removing any and all irregardless if they have not committed a crime and contribute to our workforce and pay into our SS while never being able to get that back.
I don't remember DOGE being mentioned, or re-writing history at the Smithsonian, his Tarif debacle, or him running on the very unpopular 2025 plan, that he has almost implemented to the T, and has the main author head of the CBO.
his firing and or stopping of monies to fund our scientific research is completely ridiculous, all to pacifyb the Fossil Fuel Fux.
He has sold US out as he's already made over 3 BILLION dollars off his criminal endeavors. It is sad you cannot see or realize this, but it is the truth, Trump cares not about US, he is only in it to stay out of jail and togain power to feed his fckd up ego and mentally disturbed mind.
If they are doing that, many are doing it because they stole an American's identity.
If you dont think Trump is extremely divisive you need more help than anyone here can give you.
If that is your response, I'll quietly depart the field with my victory.
The idea that Trump is a uniter is 100% delusional.
Depart any you wish.
He sided with the slightly larger side of the divide.
Divisive and winning are not mutually exclusive.
The institute will 'catalog' and store all its history and let Trump and MAGA supporters do whatever they wish. . . hell, as far as I am concerned they could shutter the windows and lock the doors until he and his MAGAs are gone. In any case, we have books, even in other countries, that can tell the story of our nation's sordid and exceptional history. Let MAGAs do their worse!
It is just sad. But it is what it is. Trump and MAGA supporters remind me of Southerners from a by-gone era. . . come back to life. Nobody could tell those hard-case characters anything either. They have always been selfish, delusional, and greedy. And so, they have power (once again) and they are (yep!) selfish, delusional, and greedy.
Watch citizens. Watch world. See what some conservatives REALLY are about in all its 'glory' and 'infamy.' Trump and MAGA are on FULL DISPLAY. After this next four years. . . there will be plenty to write books about hook or crook!
How so?....
Possibly because dog whistling is often heard by this herd, that isn't ashamed of being bigoted racist knumb skullz out in the open, where as it used to be disguised and on the down low due to its offensive nature that has somehow via Trump, become an open market where grosseries are displayed openly, for Trump has broken so many accepted norms and apparently can't conform to any type of etiquette. And as consistently shows what a prejudicial pussy grabbin back stabbin putz who pulls out hatz for his rabid fans to put money into his pockets, and as concocted, they have rocked it, like Epstein and his best bud robbin the cradle, with Maxine lubing them up with a ladle, to diminish the friction and create a depiction where asz under, TRump did know wrong, as the far left loons are the ones in Maxx's now sung song, cause pardon moi', due ewe have any Grey Poupon, cause slick Willy is the one they want to get top Bill in, but with Trumps' GUILTY Behavior, I got a feeling he is now preying to a different savior, cause the taste of defeat, is the sole reason Trump can't away shew this story that he a tempts like Christ, to undo the heist, a heist that has carjacked more than Big Ballz for little hands down others pants cause he just grabs em that way, buy that pussy, who just mite bee on the 9th innning, with a full count, and an account that sums up how down in the dump, the election again of this Trump, has been one giant clump, of shit on his soul, that was sold to the lowest biider, as displayed on South Park recently, as ole Trumpy and some red guy wearing prada proudly, cause he claims he's aloudly, to do whatever he wants at a riidiculous volume heard, and asz the orange turd, he continues wit the absurd, and weighs inn like a Kurd, while chunky is the cream that this golden calf has utterly creamed with his corn gone mushy, asz he looks for an underage girl, to Epstein inn her tushy, and grab buy that pussy, as he disgraces the over one thousand victims already violated, cause he cares knot watt they hear or fear, cause it's all about he, and for once I do B leave, cause the list being witheld IS all about Trump being a violator and best Tee to two pedophiles with whom he did molesty,
some poor young girls that have now turned out to be a little pesky problem, all as he continues to disrobe and ta robb em', of their innocence and our tax dollars, while invading they & US till heard are more hollers, by white and blue collars, , as he makes it for the 1%, just continue to reign, more Dollars ....while leaving US to live in the squalors, of the living rooms, formerly known as parlors without the beauty, cause next week he's blowing off to Russia and satisfy Puuty , puttin it in the rough, cause for Vladimeer, it ain't tuff...
Hardcore bigots and racists. Oh, and . . .
Trump and MAGA supporters are lying their way through this presidency. They are waging hardcore political warfare. . . and lying is par for the course. The man lies without 'fear or favor' to get what he wants. . . and his supporters love it. And Trump knows they love his lies and his getting what he (they) want. . . through lies. Why because through him they get what they want! Liberals losing their gains in society. . . Guess who is back in the news and going after same-sex marriage in a court of law 'just in time' for the Fall SCOTUS session. . . Yep!
Rowan County Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis at the State of the Union Address, Washington, D.C., January 2016
Otherwise Known As: "Doll Face."
So when the "creature features" on NT ask who is going all out to be a pain in the life of liberals, Others, and homosexuals. . . here is the 'latest' reiteration of a Case In Point !
She's the poster girl for Family Values. She's been married 4 times
Ok, so Southers are hard-core bigots and racist in your opinion. Got it. Oh and is that a picture of a "special" friend?
Not even worth it....
That is not what I wrote. Please read more closely. Here it is in paragraph form:
Thanx for emphasising my value here.
So you think anyone MAGA, regardless of where they're from, is the equivalent of a hard core bigot and racist like Southerners?
Your welcome...
Before I answer: What do you know about hardcore bigoted and racist Southerners from a by-gone era?
Funny how it is leftists that claim others are putting out dog whistles, but it is them that are the only ones that can hear them.
Likely because liberals aren't deaf, dumb and blind to the reality that surrounds us all.
Well, I would agree to the first and third point.
The second one...........................................................?
No. Not all MAGA are bigoted racist Southerners, but pretty much all the bigoted racist Southerns consider themselves MAGA.
It is clear in this life that there are exceptions to 99.99 percent of 'rules'. (MAGA supporters know this. . . but 'craft' their questions to suit their pitch, anyway.)
Mmmm, methinks your bias is perhaps wider than the original post I replied to...
Carry on then...
Copilot answer:
Karma is a bitch right?...
and your point is what?
That karma is a bitch.
Did you marry someone named Karma ?
I don't think you understand what you posted and you don't know the definition of karma
thank you
Okay
Best comment of the week so far!
All part of his anti DEI shit
The real kicker about all this is that Trump is an obvious ignoramus about US history, yet, "there would be a review to determine if the Institution's materials conformed to the Trump administration's views on teaching history."
We are supposed to have the country's major museums conform to the notions of someone who has never once in his miserable life conveyed any signs that he has even a rudimentary knowledge of the countrys history?
But even if he did, how the hell is one person deciding what legitimate American history is?
I heard that JD Vance is going to head up this anti-history commission.
oh great