The Trump administration has launched a review of Smithsonian content, raising new concerns about how American history is portrayed in national museums, as Breitbart reports.

The White House is targeting the National Museum of American History’s Entertainment Nation exhibit, calling it politically one-sided and prompting an executive order to remove content deemed “anti-American."

Entertainment Nation opened in 2022 and is scheduled to run for 20 years. The exhibit explores how movies, music, television, and sports have reflected and shaped American culture.

Statements in displays prompt backlash

The exhibit, introduced through an April 2022 museum video, claims American entertainment has long connections to violence and colonial inspiration.

One panel says 1920s circus acts represented a global “colonial impulse.”

Another display describes violence as one of the earliest traits in American entertainment.

These statements have drawn objections from officials, who say they portray the United States unfairly.

White House official Lindsey Halligan called these themes divisive and said federal funding should not support narratives that, in her view, undermine national values.

White House seeks balance

“American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives,” Halligan said in a statement to Fox News.

She added that Smithsonian institutions should present history in a way that is accurate and honors the core values that define the country’s legacy.

“Framing American culture as inherently violent, imperialist, or racist does not reflect the greatness of our nation or the millions of Americans who have contributed to its progress,” she continued.

Prior incidents under review

The Entertainment Nation backlash follows earlier controversies.

In 2020, a Smithsonian web page defined “whiteness” with traits including individualism and the scientific method, which critics said oversimplified important concepts.

Other debated topics include plans to feature “trans women” in the proposed Museum of the American Women and a Smithsonian Magazine article linking ancient Roman plagues to climate change.

Halligan said officials are partnering with Smithsonian leadership to conduct a full content review. She emphasized the need to remove messaging that may promote division.

Executive order aims for reform

In March, President Trump signed an executive order directing the removal of material labeled as improper, divisive, or anti-American within Smithsonian institutions.

The order tasked the vice president, who sits on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, with overseeing this process across museums, education centers, and the National Zoo.

The review affects all Smithsonian-affiliated projects and has sparked a national discussion over how history should be curated in public institutions.