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LetMyPeopleVote

(168,672 posts)
4. MaddowBlog-Trump complains that 'woke' Smithsonian focuses on 'how bad slavery was'
Tue Aug 19, 2025, 05:03 PM
Aug 19

The president’s campaign against the Smithsonian Institution was already indefensible. With new false and weird claims, it’s suddenly even worse.

Just when it seemed Trump’s offensive against the Smithsonian couldn’t get more ridiculous, he started whining today about its museums focusing on “how bad Slavery was.” www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-08-19T20:24:20.849Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-complains-woke-smithsonian-focuses-bad-slavery-was-rcna225924

Last week, the White House let the Smithsonian know that it has plans to conduct a far-reaching review of its museums to ensure the content it presents to the public aligns with Trump’s views on American history. It’s against this backdrop that NBC News reported:

Trump voiced outrage this afternoon in a post on Truth Social about the types of exhibits shown in the Smithsonian and other museums across the country. ‘The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE.’ The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,’ he said.


.....The harangue comes just days after Stephen Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff, falsely claimed that Smithsonian exhibits have “clearly been taken over by leftwing activists” who have “obscenely defaced this beloved institution.”....

What’s more, the idea that exhibits talks about “how bad Slavery was” necessarily leads to questions about which parts of slavery the president believes weren’t “bad.”.....

Over the course of seven months, Trump has taken steps to exert unusual influence and control over everything from the economy to higher education, the judiciary to the media, private businesses to nonprofit organizations, the military to cultural institutions, labor unions to law enforcement, health care to sports teams, independent federal agencies to banks, the legal profession to the entertainment industry.

The president is now making it painfully clear that he has museums in his sights, too.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

After all, slaves learned useful life skills. groundloop Aug 19 #1
I was taught that. Wifes husband Aug 19 #3
Yeah lets just focus on the positives. Enough with you Debbie Downers. maxsolomon Aug 19 #2
MaddowBlog-Trump complains that 'woke' Smithsonian focuses on 'how bad slavery was' LetMyPeopleVote Aug 19 #4
Degenerate Art Exhibit coming to the National Gallery soon Prairie Gates Aug 19 #5
When Trump is finally gone, the museums damn well better have a significant focus on how terrible Trump Wiz Imp Aug 19 #6
The trumpies are partnering with PragerU, who said that slavery was "no big deal" and "better than being killed" LetMyPeopleVote Aug 19 #7
My mother used to monitor RW talk radio BumRushDaShow Aug 19 #8
Me in NYC used to monitor RW radio back after Clinton was elected for a year or 2.... electric_blue68 Aug 20 #21
I actually heard Limpball's very first broadcast on WABC BumRushDaShow Aug 20 #23
Wow, we share some "NYC Radio History"! 😄📻👍.... electric_blue68 Aug 20 #28
I think Samuels had the 10 am - 2 pm slot BumRushDaShow Aug 20 #31
Don't remember that much about the shedules... electric_blue68 Aug 20 #33
And These guys... electric_blue68 Aug 20 #29
And add to that the one we'd call "Savage Weiner" BumRushDaShow Aug 20 #32
Yeah, he was a piece ofwork! Awful!!! electric_blue68 Aug 20 #34
Where are my eyes? Lulu KC Aug 19 #9
Trump says Smithsonian should portray America's 'Brightness,' not 'how bad Slavery was' LetMyPeopleVote Aug 19 #10
I hate to say it, but Trump's quote did not actually say they should promote positive things INSTEAD of the negative. thesquanderer Aug 19 #13
I guarantee the jackass has never set foot in any of them BumRushDaShow Aug 20 #14
In other words, Trump says the opposite of the truth again. yardwork Aug 20 #17
It's predictable. BumRushDaShow Aug 20 #19
Oh, cool. While I followed the progress of the NMAAHC (lots of description, occasional photos)... electric_blue68 Aug 20 #24
I expect it was a difficult job trying to pull it off BumRushDaShow Aug 20 #26
Oh, lovely! TY electric_blue68 Aug 20 #30
Its an onion of dystopian hell angrychair Aug 19 #11
Just face it, IF we ever get this Epstein pedophile out of office and slightlv Aug 19 #12
SATIRE: "And in other news, Hans Schmidt, newly elected Chancellor of Germany, says historical sites that were raccoon Aug 20 #15
Too bad the White House press corps is a bunch of chickenshits. Paladin Aug 20 #16
Apparently this is a Heritage Foundation / Project 2025 Christian Nationalist re-write of History mackdaddy Aug 20 #18
Thank you for posting that! BumRushDaShow Aug 20 #20
These Court of History guys have been great. mackdaddy Thursday #37
What a fucking piece of shit! Behind the Aegis Aug 20 #22
Mike Luckovich-The Smithsonian after trump is finished LetMyPeopleVote Aug 20 #25
Oh, snap! Well played, Mike! (Yikes!) electric_blue68 Aug 20 #36
Jillian Michaels got into a kerfuffle on Abby Philips show on CNN re: slavery IcyPeas Aug 20 #27
Tap drumphf on his shoulder... electric_blue68 Aug 20 #35
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