NEW YORK AP - The Smithsonian Institution has removed from an exhibit a reference to President Donald Trump's two impeachments, a decision that comes as the White House exerts pressure to offer a more positive - and selective - view of American history. A spokesperson said the exhibit eventually "will include all impeachments."
A label referring to impeachment had been added in 2021 to the National Museum for American History's exhibit on the American presidency, in a section called "Limits of Presidential Power." Smithsonian spokesperson Phillip Zimmerman said Friday that the section, which includes materials on the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and the Watergate scandal that helped lead to President Richard Nixon's resignation, needed to be overhauled. He said the decision came after the museum was "reviewing our legacy content recently."
"Because the other topics in this section had not been updated since 2008, the decision was made to restore the Impeachment case back to its 2008 appearance," Zimmerman said in an email.
He said that in September 2021, the museum installed a temporary label on content concerning Trump's impeachments. "It was intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time," he said. But the label remained in place.
"A large permanent gallery like The American Presidency that opened in 2000 requires a significant amount of time and funding to update and renew," he said. "A future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments."