The Smithsonian‘s National Museum of American History has restored a placard for President Donald Trump to its impeachment display, with updated information his cases.
The Washington Post noted that the new text has fewer details than the temporary signage preceding it.
The change was made a week after a The Washington Post reported that a temporary placard containing Trump’s name had been removed from the exhibit.
“The National Museum of American History has completed its update to the Impeachment case within ‘The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden’ exhibition,” the Smithsonian said in a statement to the Post on August 8. “The updated display now reflects all presidential impeachments. Adhering to principles foundational to our role as the nation’s museum, we take great care to ensure that what we present to the public reflects both intellectual integrity and thoughtful design.”
The display had been on view at the Washington, D.C., museum since 2021. It had mentioned Trump’s impeachments alongside those of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, as well as the resignation of Richard Nixon, who would have faced impeachment proceedings as well if he had not voluntarily resigned.
On August 2, the Smithsonian addressed the revisions in a post on X. “The placard, which was meant to be a temporary addition to a 25-year-old exhibition, did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation,” the Smithsonian statement said. “It was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and moreover blocked the view of the objects inside its case. For these reasons, we removed the placard.”
The removal of Trump’s name prompted criticism, including from several Democratic leaders. There has been growing concern about political interference at the consortium of cultural institutions that include the Smithsonian, especially after the disbandment its diversity offices in accordance with the Trump administration’s crusade against “anti-American ideology“.
On August 1, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer called the removal “sad” and “pathetic” during Senate floor remarks. “You can’t make this up. This is a man rewriting history – or thinking he can rewrite history. He can’t, but he thinks he can,” he said. “He is censoring the American History Museum. It’s Orwellian. It’s downright Orwellian. It’s something you’d see in an authoritarian regime. It’s something the head of North Korea would do – not America.”
The Smithsonian’s statement on August 1 noted, “We were not asked by any Administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit.” It also said that no other changes had been made at the museum.
In a statement to the Post, Lindsey Halligan, a White House official charged with scrutinizing “improper ideology” at the Smithsonian, reiterated that the White House wasn’t involved with the revision. “That said, it’s encouraging to see the institution taking steps that align with President Trump’s Executive Order to restore truth to American History. As part of that truth, it’s important to note that President Trump was acquitted twice by Senate, fully and on every count — a fact that belongs in the historical record.”
