Smithsonian Says It Was Not Political Pressure to Take Down Trump Impeachment Display

The Smithsonian took down a sign calling for Trump’s impeachment because it didn’t follow curatorial standards. They said they weren’t swayed by political or government pressure.

The National Museum of American History is run by the Smithsonian Institution, which has rejected that political pressure was used to take down a display about the impeachments of US President Donald Trump.

The institution said in a statement on Saturday that the sign was taken down because it did not meet curatorial standards for “appearance, location, timeliness, and overall presentation.” It also said that the sign made it hard to see the objects in the display case.

The statement said, “It didn’t go with other parts of the exhibit and blocked the view of the objects inside its case.” “No one from the Administration or any other government agency asked us to take anything out of the exhibit.”

The choice to take down the sign that listed Trump’s two impeachments comes at a time when cultural and political institutions are getting more attention during Trump’s second term in office. The Washington Post had earlier said that the removal came after a “content review” that was reportedly ordered by the White House because of a different controversy involving the director of an art museum.

The museum’s impeachment exhibit now says, wrongly, that “only three presidents have seriously faced removal,” leaving out Trump’s historic two impeachments in 2019 and 2021.

Critics quickly condemned what was said. Chuck Schumer, the minority leader in the Senate, said on Friday, “You can run, but you can’t hide from the facts.” It doesn’t matter what evidence you try to twist, the American people will always remember that you were impeached twice.

“Reflect all impeachment proceedings in our nation’s history,” the Smithsonian has promised to change the part of the exhibit about impeachment in the next few weeks.

During his first term, Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives. The first time was in 2019 for his role in the Ukraine scandal, and the second time was in 2021 for his role in starting the riot at the Capitol on January 6. The Senate found him not guilty both times. He was the only president of the US to be removed twice.

In March, Trump signed an order that targeted what he called “improper ideology” in culture institutions that get money from the federal government. This included the Smithsonian. The order said that exhibits that “degrade shared American values” or “divide Americans based on race” had to be taken down.

There is a growing discussion about historical accuracy, government pressure, and the independence of institutions. The Smithsonian, which is in charge of 21 museums and the National Zoo, is at the center of this debate.