The Smithsonian Snare: How Trump’s Attacks on History Reveal a Deeper Crisis

A recent report from the Trump Administration’s Domestic Policy Council, “Saving America’s Story,” has sparked outrage among historians and museum professionals. On its surface, it appears to be a scathing critique of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, accusing archivists, curators, educators, and historians of rewriting American history to suit their own ideological agendas.

The report’s timing is telling, released on July 4th – a day meant to commemorate America’s founding principles. This suggests a calculated attempt to hijack the narrative of American history by targeting the Smithsonian. By doing so, Trump’s team is waging war on the very idea of objective historical inquiry. The museum has long been a sacred institution, where Americans can come together to learn about their shared past and grapple with the complexities of their collective identity.

The report emphasizes “patriotism” and asserts that museum professionals are failing to properly celebrate America’s founding ideals. To Trump’s team, patriotism has become a zero-sum game – either you’re with them, or you’re against the very fabric of American identity. This reductionist approach to history is at odds with the Smithsonian’s mission: telling the whole story of America, including its failures and injustices.

The museum has long prided itself on confronting the brutal realities of slavery, colonialism, and Native American dispossession. It acknowledges that the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence have never been evenly distributed across American society. The report’s attacks on museum professionals are not just a personal vendetta but also an attempt to undermine intellectual expertise by labeling historians, curators, and educators as ideological hacks.

The report’s own contradictions are striking. It admits that the Smithsonian’s In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness exhibition highlights key artifacts from American history – including Thomas Jefferson’s desk used to draft the Declaration of Independence and the Star-Spangled Banner. Yet it still condemns the museum for its “anti-white agenda” and “anti-American ideology.”

This kind of doublespeak is characteristic of Trump’s rhetorical style, where language is twisted to serve ideological purposes. By doing so, he’s attempting to create a culture war over American history – one where anyone questioning the dominant narrative is labeled an enemy of the state.

Historians and museum professionals have been working together for decades to create a more nuanced understanding of America’s past – acknowledging its complexities, contradictions, and failures. The Smithsonian has long been at the forefront of this effort, with exhibitions like In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness pushing visitors to grapple with the messy realities of American history.

In the end, Trump’s attacks on the Smithsonian are less about history itself than they are about power – specifically, who gets to shape the narrative of America’s past. Will we continue down this path of revisionism and myth-making? Or will we choose instead to preserve the integrity of our historical institutions and allow them to tell their stories in all their complexity?

The answer lies with us – with every American who values truth, objectivity, and intellectual freedom. As we move forward into a future where fact and fiction are increasingly blurred, it’s more important than ever that we defend the sanctity of history itself – even when it makes us uncomfortable.