'Erasing history': Trump’s Smithsonian 'slavery' critique stuns critics

Former President Donald Trump speaks at Trump Tower in New York. Photo: Michael Vadon/Creative Commons

President Donald Trump is signaling his focus on making America’s universities less liberal and more conservative may now be waning, and he’s setting his sights on another target: America’s museums.

Museums across the country are too “woke” Trump declared on Tuesday, specifically calling out the Smithsonian Institution, and angrily blasting it for discussing “how bad Slavery was.”

The Smithsonian is an independent group of museums and research centers established by the federal government that does not answer to the President.

Although he did not mention it specifically, one of the museums within the Smithsonian is the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,'” Trump announced. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”

“We are not going to allow this to happen,” the President insisted, “and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made. This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the “HOTTEST” Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums.”

Constitutionally, no president has the power to dictate what museums across the country show, which stories they tell, or how they frame history. Other than signing a joint Congressional resolution, the President has little authority over who serves on the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents.

Critics blasted the President’s remarks.

“It takes a single trip to any Smithsonian, including the American history museum and the African American history and culture museum, to know that the claim they feature ‘nothing about Success’ and ‘nothing about Brightness’ is categorically false,” wrote CNN senior reporter and fact-checker Daniel Dale.

“Slavery was very, very, very bad, and I hope that view continues to be reflected in our national museums,” declared The Washington Post’s James Hohmann.

“Trump supports slavery. Prove me wrong,” wrote U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

“Trump says the Smithsonian shouldn’t show America’s brutal past — things like centuries of slavery, Native displacement, Japanese American internment or forced sterilization of Puerto Rican women,” noted Democratic National Committee spokesperson Marcus W. Robinson. “Erasing history won’t erase truth. Another failure for his failed administration.”

Journalist Aaron Rupar mockingly asked, “why doesn’t the Smithsonian talk more about … the upsides of slavery?”

“Trump is angry that the Smithsonian Museum talks about how bad slavery was, which is a crucial part of American history,” observed political commentator and influencer Harry Sisson. “He’s now sending his attorneys after the museum. This is what dictators have done throughout history. Wake up, America.”

Former RNC chairman Michael Steele asked, “Ok @realDonaldTrump why don’t you tell us about the good side of slavery? You clearly have thoughts.”

Former Marine fighter pilot and former Democratic political candidate Amy McGrath added, “Teaching that slavery was bad in American history is now considered “woke.” Watch as all the republicans in office start to fall in line with this one.”

Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of the Campaign for New York Health wrote: “It’s not surprising that Trump thinks there was an upside to slavery considering his supporters still wave the flag of the people who went to war against the United States to protect it.”