Smithsonian Removes Trump Impeachment References After White House Review

The museum’s current display claims only three presidents have faced removal—Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Richard Nixon—effectively erasing the 2019 and 2021 impeachments of the 45th president. The change, implemented in July, reversed a temporary label added in 2021 that had previously acknowledged the historical record. Internal sources suggest the move was part of a broader concession to the administration, which has aggressively sought to align national cultural institutions with its own preferred narrative of American history.

Critics have decried the decision as a capitulation to executive overreach. Political commentator Kavian Shroff characterized the move as an attempt to appease an authoritarian, while author Jeff Greenfield compared the omission to the historical revisionism found in George Orwell’s 1984. Representative Mark Pocan, who served during the proceedings, challenged the museum's new stance, stating that facts do not disappear simply because they are ignored. Following public backlash and media inquiries, the Smithsonian announced it would update the exhibit to include all presidential impeachments, though no timeline for the correction was provided.