References to Trump's impeachments are reinstalled at Smithsonian exhibit -- with some slight but crucial changes

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Politics

Updated Aug 8, 2025, 4:05 PM ET
PUBLISHED Aug 8, 2025, 3:51 PM ET


The Smithsonian Institution has reinstalled material referencing President Donald Trump’s two impeachments at an exhibit related to the presidency at the National Museum of American History – but there have been some changes made to the prior text.

As CNN previously reported, the museum last month removed a temporary placard referencing Trump’s two impeachments from the exhibit, which described and contained artifacts related to the impeachments of presidents Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson and the impeachment process against Richard Nixon.

The removal of the placard prompted public outcry against the museum and claims it was capitulating to Trump. The president earlier this year signed an executive order accusing the museum of promoting a “divisive” ideology and directing it to make changes to its programming.

In follow-up statements, the museum system insisted the placard’s removal was temporary and denied it had been pressured by any government official to make changes to its exhibits.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/politics/smithsonian-trump-impeachment-exhibit

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From this -


In September 2021, the Smithsonian placed a board over the exhibit which read: “Case under redesign (history happens*)” and referenced Trump’s two impeachments. (Michael Williams/CNN)

To this -


The exhibit, as seen on Friday. (Connor Greene/CNN)

[Native]

1. Here are the text changes:

One portion which had previously described Trump’s “solicitation of foreign influence in the 2020 presidential election and defiance of Congressional subpoenas” as the impetus for his first impeachment now includes the word “alleged.”

A description of his second impeachment now omits a claim that Trump made repeated “false statements” challenging his loss in the 2020 election, as well as a quote from the impeachment article accusing Trump of delivering a speech that “encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — lawless action at the Capitol.”

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Why Nixon is on there is a head-scratcher

since he was never impeached (he resigned before that happened), although I guess it was done to display the infamous file cabinet as part of the Watergate mess.

[Native]

5. that makes sense.

[republianmushroom]

3. Seems like the Smithsonian Institution is trying to rewrite some history.

Sucking up to trump. Jeez !

[Solly Mack]

4. Bow down to a tin-pot tyrant and still expect people to find you credible. NOT.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. I know this is deplorable -- but remember, the Smithsonian will be around long after Turnip has died in prison.

Most visitors to the Smithsonian will either be already aware of Turnip's lawlessness, or will be too young to understand either written or spoken English. When Turnip goes, the exhibit goes back to the way it was, so future generations can see the truth and be warned before it happens again.

As much as I hate seeing institutions accommodating Turnip, I believe many of them are telling themselves "it's only temporary". I hope they're right, but would like to see them trying to pour a little more sand in the gears of Turnip's democracy-crushing juggernaut.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. Maddow Blog-White House to review Smithsonian exhibits to ensure Trump's views are reflected

As a political matter, Donald Trump and his team have made this a difficult year for the Smithsonian. It’s poised to get much worse.

If Republicans want Trump’s critics to stop calling him an authoritarian, maybe White House officials shouldn’t tell the Smithsonian that they’ll be reviewing exhibits to ensure the president’s views are reflected. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-08-12T18:33:58.090Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-review-smithsonian-exhibits-ensure-trumps-views-are-reflec-rcna224589

Late last week, the museum restored information about the incumbent president to a display on presidential impeachments, but the new version wasn’t necessarily improved: It made changes to the original and removed some details.

But just because things are bad doesn’t mean they can’t get worse. The Wall Street Journal reported:

The White House 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. In a letter sent to Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, three top White House officials said they want to ensure the museums’ ‘unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story’ and reflect the president’s executive order calling for ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.’

The Journal’s report, which has been independently verified by NBC News, added that Team Trump intends to scrutinize everything “from public-facing exhibition text and online content to internal curatorial processes, exhibition planning, the use of collections and artist grants.”.....

Of course, there’s no reason to believe that Americans have lost confidence in the Smithsonian, just as there’s no reason to believe the public will feel greater confidence in the museums after Team Trump advances its wildly unnecessary initiative. (The letter was signed by White House senior associate Lindsey Halligan, the director of the domestic policy council, Vince Haley, and the director of the office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought.)....

The title of the White House’s order from March said the directive was intended to restore “sanity to American history.” Given the circumstances, “sanity” is not the word that comes to mind.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. . Here is a link to trump's "fact sheet" on editing history at the Smithsonian

This "fact sheet" is very upsetting and sad
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-truth-and-sanity-to-american-history/

Here are some of the provisions of this "fact sheet"

The Order directs the Vice President, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.

The Order directs the Administration to work with Congress to ensure that future Smithsonian appropriations: (1) prohibit funding for exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race, or promote ideologies inconsistent with Federal law; and (2) celebrate women’s achievements in the American Women’s History Museum and do not recognize men as women.

The Vice President will work with congressional leaders to appoint members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents who are committed to advancing the celebration of America’s extraordinary heritage and progress.

trump had to insult the Biden administration in this "fact sheet"

COMBATING CORROSIVE IDEOLOGY: In the last decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted effort to rewrite American history and force our nation to adopt a factually baseless ideology aimed at diminishing American achievement. President Trump is fighting back by reestablishing truth in the historical narrative and restoring Federal sites dedicated to American heritage.

The prior administration pushed a divisive ideology that reconstrued America’s promotion of liberty as fundamentally flawed, infecting revered institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks with false narratives.

trump never studied history and trump's proposed revisions to history are really disgusting