Trump reinstated in impeachment display at Museum of American History
The Smithsonian Institution has reinstated information about former President Donald Trump’s impeachments in its American History Museum after having removed it during an internal content review. The review aimed to address concerns about political or partisan influence. The updated exhibit, part of “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden,” now includes detailed descriptions of all presidential impeachments, including Trump’s two impeachments.
The new display provides a carefully worded summary of Trump’s first impeachment in December 2019, citing charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to alleged solicitation of foreign interference, and notes his acquittal. The second impeachment, which made Trump the first president impeached twice, is described with emphasis on the charge of incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol events, noting his subsequent acquittal after leaving office.
Previously, a temporary placard had been installed but removed for not aligning with the museum’s standards and blocking exhibit visibility. The Smithsonian maintains that the removal was not due to pressure from any management or government officials but was part of ensuring intellectual integrity and thoughtful presentation. The update follows a March 2025 executive order from Trump seeking to address what the administration described as divisive ideological influence within the Smithsonian.
the reinstatement has sparked political reactions, with some Democratic leaders criticizing the earlier removal as an attempt to erase history. The Smithsonian emphasizes its commitment to accurate, scholarly, and factual ancient presentation as central to its mission.
Smithsonian reinstates Trump as part of impeachment display in American history museum
The Smithsonian Institution has restored information on the impeachments of President Donald Trump to a display in its American history museum after previously removing it as part of an internal content review for “political or partisan influence.”
“The National Museum of American History has completed its update to the Impeachment case within ‘The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden’ exhibition. The updated display now reflects all presidential impeachments,” a Smithsonian spokesperson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
The previous version of the display case included a temporary placard that the Smithsonian installed in September 2021. A Smithsonian spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that the placard “was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and blocked part of the case. We removed it to make way for a more permanent update to the content inside the case.”
The newly installed placard contains a few notable edits to the text surrounding Trump’s two impeachments.
Regarding Trump’s first impeachment, the new placard says, “On December 18, 2019, the House impeached Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The charges focused on the president’s alleged solicitation of foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election and defiance of Congressional subpoenas. Trump was acquitted in January 2020.”
The former, temporary placard was nearly the same, except it did not include the word “alleged,” according to the Washington Post.
Regarding Trump’s second impeachment, the new placard says, “On January 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. The charge was incitement of insurrection based on his challenge of the 2020 election results and on his speech on January 6. Because Trump’s term ended on January 20, he became the first former president tried by the Senate. He was acquitted on February 13, 2021.”
The previous placard was similar, except for the middle sentence. The middle sentence previously said, “The charge was incitement of insurrection, based on repeated ‘false statements’ challenging the 2020 election results and his January 6 speech that ‘encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — imminent lawless action at the Capitol.’”
“Adhering to principles foundational to our role as the nation’s museum, we take great care to ensure that what we present to the public reflects both intellectual integrity and thoughtful design,” the Smithsonian spokesperson said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
A wave of Democratic backlash followed the initial pull of the temporary placard from the display. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) posted the New York Times headlines from the days Trump was impeached on X. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called the removal of the placard “downright Orwellian,” saying it’s “something you’d see in an authoritarian regime.”
The Smithsonian released a statement last Saturday saying it was not pressured by the Trump administration to remove the old placard.
“The placard, which was meant to be a temporary addition to a twenty-five year-old exhibition, did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline and overall presentation. It was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and moreover blocked the view of the objects inside its case. For these reasons, we removed the placard. We were not asked by any Administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit,” the statement said.
SMITHSONIAN SAYS IT WASN’T PRESSURED TO REMOVE TRUMP MENTION IN IMPEACHMENT EXHIBIT
The Smithsonian’s internal content review followed a March executive order from Trump titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which warned that the Smithsonian had “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology”. The order includes a section titled “Saving Our Smithsonian,” which details how the administration plans to remove this “improper ideology.”
“At the heart of the Smithsonian’s work is a steadfast commitment to scholarship, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history,” a Smithsonian spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
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