Smithsonian to update National Museum exhibit after removing Trump impeachment references

WASHINGTON - The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History said it will update an exhibit on presidential impeachment after references to former President Donald Trump’s two impeachments were removed. 

What we know:

In a statement, the museum explained that the change involved removing a temporary placard from the "American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" exhibit.  

The placard, which had been added in 2021, included information about Trump’s two impeachments alongside those of Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. 

"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," the Smithsonian said. "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." 

The institution emphasized that "we were not asked by any Administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit" and said the impeachment section "will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect all impeachment proceedings in our nation’s history." 

The move comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to influence cultural institutions.  

Dig deeper:

Trump signed an executive order earlier this year restricting Smithsonian funding for programs he says promote "divisive narratives" and tasked Vice President JD Vance, a Smithsonian Board of Regents member, with overseeing the changes. 

Trump targets Smithsonian funding with executive order to remove ‘improper ideology’: READ THE FULL STORY

Trump, the only U.S. president to be impeached twice, faced House charges in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to Ukraine and in 2021 for incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. He was acquitted in the Senate both times.