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Trump Administration Accuses Smithsonian of "Activism" and Supporting Illegal Immigration
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Trump Administration Accuses Smithsonian of "Activism" and Supporting Illegal Immigration

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A White House report accuses the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History of harboring "activists" with political biases.
  • The report claims the museum promotes divisive narratives, focusing excessively on slavery and supporting undocumented immigration.
  • Critics argue the museum should celebrate American history as a common heritage, not use it as a political tool.

A White House report has accused the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History of being overrun by "activists" with a political agenda, alleging it promotes divisive narratives rather than celebrating American history. The report, released by the National Policy Council, criticizes the museum's leadership for adopting an ideological framework that views U.S. history as a political instrument for division and discouragement.

Our main finding (...) is that the museum's leadership has explicitly adopted an ideological framework that does not treat the history of the United States as a common heritage that should be taught and celebrated, but as a political instrument of division, discouragement, and dismay against our citizens.

— National Policy Council ReportDescribing the core criticism of the National Museum of American History's approach to U.S. history.

The report states that the museum's exhibitions have moved away from traditional patriotic narratives. It specifically criticizes the museum for allegedly supporting undocumented immigration and giving excessive attention to pro-immigrant movements, which it claims highlight the contributions of immigrants and advocate for their regularization. The authors of the report believe the museum is filled with "extremist political activists who want to transform our country."

According to the 162-page report, the museum's current portrayal of the United States is defined by themes such as white supremacy, slavery, conquest, exclusion, power hierarchies, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and systemic injustice. The report argues that while the museum can and should acknowledge historical wrongs like slavery and the mistreatment of Native peoples, it should not encourage citizens to view their country primarily through lenses of suspicion, resentment, and division.

According to what the museum now tells, the country, above all, is defined by white supremacy, slavery, conquest, exclusion, power hierarchy, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and systemic injustice.

— National Policy Council ReportDetailing the themes the report claims the museum emphasizes.

The report, which advises President Donald Trump, suggests that the museum should present a more balanced perspective, acknowledging past mistakes without fostering a sense of national division. The core accusation is that the museum has become a platform for political activism rather than a neutral institution dedicated to preserving and presenting American history.

The museum 'can and should acknowledge slavery, injustice, and the mistreatment of native peoples, as well as other mistakes, without encouraging citizens to see their country primarily through suspicion, resentment, and division.'

— National Policy Council ReportStating the report's recommendation for how the museum should present historical wrongs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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