Battle for America’s Museums: a Push Against Historical Revisionism

WHO:

Alternet - President Donald Trump is targeting the Smithsonian museums.

Alternet - David W. Blight, past president of the Organization of American Historians, is a historian speaking out against the White House's actions.

WHAT:

NY Post - The National Museum of American History removed “American history” from its mission statement.

Alternet - The White House Domestic Policy Council published a report claiming the Smithsonian aims to "erase" American "heritage."

Alternet - The Museum of American History has more than 1.7 million objects and 22,000 linear feet of archival documents.

Alternet - The report criticizes museum curators as political activists with anti-white bias.

Alternet - Blight describes the report as a product of a "racial and political ideology in search of a history that no longer bears scrutiny."

Alternet - Blight states that Trump seeks a more "triumphalist history."

WHERE:

Alternet - The Smithsonian museums are located across Washington D.C.

WHY:

Alternet - The report suggests that the Smithsonian's portrayal of history is politically biased and does not align with Trump's vision of American heritage.

Alternet - Blight argues that the administration's report aims to return to a version of the 1950s, reflecting a desire for a simplified narrative of American history.

HOW:

Alternet - The White House is attempting to influence the narrative presented by the Smithsonian through reports and public statements.

(UPDATED July 17, 2026 23:14 UTC)

President Trump is targeting the Smithsonian museums, claiming that their portrayal of American history is politically biased and does not align with his vision of American heritage. In response, historian David W. Blight has criticized a recent report from the White House Domestic Policy Council, which suggests that the Smithsonian aims to "erase" American heritage and describes museum curators as political activists with anti-white bias. Blight argues that this report reflects a desire to return to a simplified narrative of American history reminiscent of the 1950s, which he believes is a product of a "racial and political ideology in search of a history that no longer bears scrutiny."