The Smithsonian Establishment’s Nationwide Museum of American Historical past eliminated references to President Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit, amid a White Home push to current a extra constructive perspective on American historical past.
The alteration was made to the exhibit on the American presidency, particularly within the part titled “Limits of Presidential Power,” which particulars the impeachment of President Invoice Clinton and the Watergate scandal that helped result in President Richard Nixon’s resignation.
In 2021, labels detailing Trump’s impeachment was added to the board, however museum officers eliminated them again in July.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the White Home on July 29. (Picture by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos)
“On December 18, 2019, the House impeached Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress,” the reference to Trump’s first impeachment learn. “The charges focused on the president’s solicitation of foreign influence in the 2020 presidential election and his defiance of Congressional subpoenas. President Trump was acquitted in January 2020.”
One other label learn: “On January 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice,” referencing Trump’s cost on “incitement of riot, based mostly on repeated ‘false statements’ difficult the 2020 election outcomes and his January 6 speech that ‘inspired — and foreseeably resulted in — lawless motion on the U.S. Capitol.
“Because Trump’s term ended on January 20, his acquittal on February 13 made him the first former president tried by the Senate.”
Smithsonian spokesperson Phillip Zimmerman stated the exhibit was chosen to bear a full overhaul following an inside assessment of the museum’s “legacy content.”
“Because the other topics in this section had not been updated since 2008, the decision was made to restore the Impeachment case back to its 2008 appearance,” Zimmerman stated. He additionally famous that the label added after Trump’s impeachment was all the time meant to be momentary.
“It was intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time,” he stated, including that the “future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments.”
The removing of the references comes simply months after Trump issued an govt order entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which known as for the removing of “divisive narratives” from the Smithsonian Establishment that don’t align with the White Home’s mission to “remind” the nation “of our extraordinary heritage.”
Initially Printed: August 1, 2025 at 1:14 PM EDT
