US museum says Trump admin did not compel impeachment display removal
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WASHINGTON - The recent removal of a placard at the National Museum of American History that detailed Mr Donald Trump’s two impeachments did not come after White House pressure, the museum’s parent organisation said on Aug 2.
The placard was meant to be temporary and “did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation”, the Smithsonian Institution said in a statement on X.
“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.
“We were not asked by any administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit.”
The Smithsonian statement came after The Washington Post reported on July 31 that the museum that month removed the placard describing Mr Trump’s impeachments
The Post said the removal stemmed from a Smithsonian content review after the White House pressured the organisation to remove a director of one of its art museums.
Mr Trump is the only American president to have been impeached twice – first in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, then in 2021 for inciting an insurrection. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.
Since starting his second term in January, the Republican has moved to control major cultural institutions, while slashing arts and humanities funding.
In March, Mr Trump signed an executive order
The order accused the institution of having “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centred ideology” and argued the shift has promoted narratives that portray American values as “inherently harmful and oppressive”.
The impeachment exhibit “will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings in our nation’s history”, the Smithsonian said in its statement. AFP
