American Alliance of Museums Slams Trump Administration’s Report on the Smithsonian
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) condemned the Trump administration’s attacks on the Smithsonian Institution after the White House ordered signage outside the National Museum of American History to flag what an executive order called “inaccurate information” in exhibits. The AAM said the Smithsonian “reflects the highest standards of scholarship, stewardship, and public service,” warning that politicizing museum interpretation threatens the independence of 22,000 museums nationwide. The escalation followed a 162-page Domestic Policy Council report released on 4 July alleging “ideological capture” at the National Museum of American History, which Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III later disputed in an email to staff. On 21 July, museum director Anthea Hartig faced a two-hour congressional hearing about the allegations, and the UK’s Museums Association republished the AAM statement on Tuesday.
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This story was covered in Museums Unmasked, Heritage Rewritten