President Trump says he is sending lawyers to overhaul the Smithsonian Institution because he says the group of museums, libraries, and research centers has become too “woke.” He listed slavery as one of the things that should not receive as much attention as it does. 

The president is leaning into a reorganization of the Smithsonian in a way that will be similar to his deals with several colleges and universities, he says. The institution, which was founded in 1846, runs dozens of museums and libraries, and has more than 150 million artifacts in its possession. 

“The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE.’ The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 

He says “everything” in the Smithsonian focuses on “how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been.” Mr. Trump says he sees, “Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”

“We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made,” Mr. Trump wrote. 

In February, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into many of the country’s most storied educational institutions following allegations of rampant antisemitism. That probe broadened into an investigation of schools’ academic programs, allowing the Trump administration to crack down on what it sees as “wokeness” in American higher education. 

“This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE. We have the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and we want people to talk about it, including in our Museums,” the president wrote on Truth Social Tuesday. 

In March, the president signed an executive order aimed at “restoring truth and sanity to American history” at federal institutions, including the Smithsonian and other historic sites. The order listed several examples of what the administration described as excessively “woke” exhibits, including a sculpture at the Smithsonian detailing how ​​“societies including the United States have used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.” 

Another exhibit listed was at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which claimed “‘hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and ‘the nuclear family’ are aspects of ‘White culture.’”

The White House launched a formal review of the Smithsonian Institution earlier this month. It called on the organization’s secretary, Lonnie Bunch, to make sure that the museums “reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story.”

“We will be leading a comprehensive internal review of selected Smithsonian museums and exhibitions. This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the president’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” Mr. Trump’s staff wrote. 

The administration plans to focus its review on the museums of American History, Natural History, African-American History and Culture, and the American Indian, among others. By September, the Smithsonian will be required to turn over a list of all materials it plans to put on display for a celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.