How Trump’s Culture War Derailed a New Smithsonian Museum
The proposed Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum faced significant political challenges due to amendments pushed by House Republicans. These amendments aimed to give President Trump authority over the museum's location and restrict the inclusion of transgender women. Ultimately, the amended bill failed to pass, leaving the future of the museum uncertain amidst ongoing political polarization.
- ▪House Republicans attempted to influence the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum by giving Trump authority over its location.
- ▪The amended bill faced opposition from six Republicans and 210 Democrats, leading to its failure.
- ▪The museum's establishment was initially a bipartisan effort, but political tensions have complicated its progress.
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CultureHow Trump’s Culture War Derailed a New Smithsonian MuseumRepublicans wanted to narrow the scope of the Women’s History Museum and give the president power over its location. The attempt failed.By Kelsey AblesRicky Carioti / The Washington Post / GettyMay 22, 2026, 1:53 PM ET ShareSave Ever since President Trump started playing armchair museum curator last year, the White House has employed a number of strategies to try to influence exhibitions at the Smithsonian. It has sent threatening letters, published a memo that reads like an exhibit hit list, and even resorted to an occasional bit of online trolling.The Smithsonian has certainly undergone a small number of changes as a result of the pressure, but compared with, say, the Kennedy Center and the National Endowment for the…
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