The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) has removed explicit reference to President Donald Trump from an impeachment exhibit, a spokesperson said on July 31.
A temporary label containing information about Trump’s two impeachments had been on display since September 2021 at the Washington museum, but was meant to be a short-term addition to its exhibits, the spokesperson said.
References to Trump’s impeachments were removed from the display in July, the spokesperson added.
“In September 2021, the museum installed a temporary label on content concerning the impeachments of Donald J. Trump. It was intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time, however, the label remained in place until July 2025,” the spokesperson said in a statement provided to media outlets.
“A future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments,” the spokesperson added.
Trump was impeached in 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, related to allegations that he attempted to tie aid to Ukraine to an investigation into then-presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. He was impeached again in 2021 on a charge of incitement of insurrection after the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.
The Senate acquitted the president on both occasions.
The temporary label on display at NMAH also included information about the impeachments of President Andrew Johnson in 1868 and President Bill Clinton in 1998, both of whom were impeached by the House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate.
It also included information related to President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 before House lawmakers voted on his impeachment.
The Smithsonian receives most of its budget from Congress but is independent of the federal government in decision-making.
In March, the president signed an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” Under “Saving Our Smithsonian,” the order states that it seeks to remove “improper ideology from such properties.”
“Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history,” the order states.
“To advance this policy, we will restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness – igniting the imagination of young minds, honoring the richness of American history and innovation, and instilling pride in the hearts of all Americans.”
Trump’s order directs Vice President JD Vance to lead efforts to eliminate ideology deemed improper by the administration from Smithsonian museums and ensure that future appropriations do not “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
The order also directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine whether any public monuments, memorials, or statues were removed or changed since 2020 to “perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology.”
Trump announced in May that he was firing Kim Sajet, a Dutch art historian and the director of the National Portrait Gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian, “upon the request and recommendation of many people.”
In a statement on Truth Social, he described Sajet as a “highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI.”
Sajet stepped down from the role in June, saying that it was the “best way to serve the institution.”
The Epoch Times has contacted spokespersons for the White House and Smithsonian Institution for further comment.
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