Major US museum removes all references to Trump’s impeachments

Friday 01 August 2025 - 11:30

A significant controversy has erupted after the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, quietly removed all references to the two impeachment trials of former President Donald Trump from one of its permanent exhibitions.

The exhibition, titled “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden”, had included since September 2021 information on Trump’s impeachments—one in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine, and a second in 2021 for incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol riot. In both cases, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives but acquitted by the Senate.

According to The Washington Post, which broke the story, the museum has now limited its content to the impeachment of Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998), and the near-impeachment of Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974. In response, the Smithsonian stated that a revised version of the exhibition “will include all impeachment processes,” though no timeline has been given.

This development follows an executive order signed by Donald Trump in March 2025, aimed at tightening government control over the Smithsonian’s educational content. The administration accused the institution of promoting “historical revisionism” and engaging in “ideological indoctrination,” particularly on issues of race.

The White House also sought the removal of the director of the National Gallery of Art—who ultimately resigned in June—and tasked Vice President JD Vance, a member of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, with overseeing the removal of what the administration calls “inappropriate ideology” from national museums.

The Smithsonian museums and zoo in Washington, known for being free and popular with tourists, include major institutions like the National Museum of Natural History, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture—opened by President Barack Obama in 2016.

The decision to alter historical content, especially on a subject as politically charged as impeachment, has sparked widespread concern among historians and educators, who warn of growing censorship and the politicization of cultural institutions.