President Trump is calling out the Smithsonian, claiming it promotes “one-sided, divisive political narratives.” The Smithsonian has received some criticism for its current content at the Entertainment Nation exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, which was launched in 2022 and is now a permanent exhibit featuring American pop culture. For example, one 1923 circus poster is accompanied by a placard that reads “Under the big top, circuses expressed the colonial impulse to claim dominion over the world.” Another beside an image of the Lone Ranger stated, “The White title character’s relationship with Tonto resembled how the U.S. government imagined itself the world’s Lone Ranger.” One placard went so far as to imply the original appearance of Mickey Mouse in “Steamboat Willie” had racial undertones, noting his “outsized facial features, white gloves, and trickster temperament were vestiges of longstanding traditions of blackface minstrelsy.”

White House official Lindsey Halligan criticized the displays in an email to Fox News Digital, writing, “American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives. The Smithsonian Institution should present history in a way that is accurate, balanced, and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional.” She later added that, “The examples [Fox News Digital] highlighted from the National Museum of American History are part of the problem the Trump Administration aims to fix,” and that “Framing American culture as inherently violent, imperialist, or racist does not reflect the greatness of our nation or the millions of Americans who have contributed to its progress.” Halligan stated the administration would begin an extensive content review.

The Smithsonian defended its content to Fox News. “The museum is committed to continuous and rigorous scholarship and research and unbiased presentation of facts and history,” it said in a statement. “As such, and as previously announced, we are assessing content in Smithsonian museums and will make any necessary changes to ensure our content meets our standards.” The move is in line with an executive order Trump signed in March directing the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents to eliminate “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology.” Trump has pitted himself against “revisionist history,” which critics claim seeks to turn all foundational American heroes, like George Washington, into villains with often racist motivations. President Trump’s critics, however, have accused him of attempting to whitewash history. Those who criticize revisionist history accuse it of having activist intentions rather than solid historical backing or research, such as the 1619 Project, which served to view America’s founding as not one seeking freedom, but one seeking enslavement of African people. “Americans deserve a Smithsonian that inspires national pride, tells the truth, and reflects the greatness of this country,” Halligan said. “Not one that serves as an agent for social change and cultural subversion.”