President Donald Trump has once again shaken the Washington establishment by taking aim at the Smithsonian, lambasting its museums for promoting woke narratives instead of celebrating American achievement and a “bright future.” He has launched a 120-day review of eight major museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, demanding the removal of what he calls “divisive” or “anti-American” content. This is not a trivial cultural critique; Trump frames it as a bold effort to restore patriotism and reclaim the nation’s historical narrative from the grip of woke ideology.
Critics have denounced the move as censorship and a threat to historical accuracy, claiming it could turn the Smithsonian into a political mouthpiece. But Trump’s intervention is both necessary and overdue. Author and historian Jane Hampton Cook has shared firsthand experiences that illustrate exactly why the Smithsonian has drifted so far from its mission, showing that this review is essential to preserving the truth about America’s past.
A few years ago, the Smithsonian commissioned Cook to write an article on women’s voting rights. She chose to highlight Susan B. Anthony, one of the most influential suffragists in American history. But the Smithsonian’s editorial feedback took Cook aback: “When my article came back from the Smithsonian, they told me that I needed to describe her as a racist, and I was really stunned.”
Cook pushed back, pointing out that Anthony was not only a champion of women’s rights but also a committed abolitionist. “I knew that she was also an abolitionist. She opposed slavery, and at the beginning of the Civil War, she gathered thousands of signatures from Americans calling on President Abraham Lincoln to abolish slavery,” Cook explained. “And so I really didn’t see in her work and in her writings any racism.”
But the Smithsonian’s editors were determined to force Anthony into the modern left’s racial narrative. They insisted that Cook portray Anthony with the stain of racism because she accepted financial support from Southern Democrats after the Civil War. Cook explained the historical context that made such claims misleading.
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“What the Smithsonian was trying to emphasize was the fact that after the Civil War, Susan B. Anthony took money from Southern Democrats who’d come back into the Union,” she said. “Well, why did she do that? Well, the women lost their battle for women’s voting rights after the Civil War. Members of Congress then said, ‘We’ll take this up after we solve the Civil War. We will talk about women’s voting rights.’ But that didn’t happen, so the women had to start all over.”
With the federal government unwilling to act, Anthony and other suffragists had no choice but to build support on a state-by-state basis. “They realized that they had to go to Southern states because they were going to have to make women’s voting rights a state-by-state issue, which is why they took money from Southern Democrats who supported women’s right to vote, but who had questionable views when it came to race—views that they did not share,” Cook explained.
Cook ultimately refused to let the Smithsonian distort history to fit its ideological agenda. “I ended up pulling my name and my article from the Smithsonian because I could not in good conscience smear Susan B. Anthony as a racist.”
Get this to @realDonaldTrump asap!
This is @janehamptoncook, author and columnist. The Smithsonian asked her to write an article about women’s suffrage. She chose to write about Susan B. Anthony.
When she sent her work to the Smithsonian, they sent it back asking her to… pic.twitter.com/q3WYOPaEC6
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) August 20, 2025
President Trump’s call for a Smithsonian review isn’t just justified; it’s absolutely necessary. For too long, people have twisted museums to serve woke agendas instead of telling history honestly. Americans deserve the truth, not a version of the past that the left rewrites to fit its narratives. This isn’t about exhibits; it’s about reclaiming the integrity of America’s story. We should judge historical figures by the facts of their time, not the politics of today.
By demanding a thorough review, Trump is emphasising that patriotism and accuracy — not the whims of woke elites — must shape how the nation remembers its past. This isn’t censorship; it’s a course correction that ensures Americans can be proud of their history and that the Smithsonian finally lives up to its mission of honestly showcasing the nation’s achievements and struggles.
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