Rep. Jeffries asks Justice Roberts to strike down Trump order on Smithsonian

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Apr 25, 2025

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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Friday slammed President Donald Trump’s executive order on the Smithsonian Institution, which he called a shameful effort to whitewash American history.

The Brooklyn Democrat asked Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a Smithsonian board member, to reject Trump’s March order that purported to restore “truth and sanity to American history” by removing traces of “improper ideology” at the preeminent U.S. history museum.

“President Trump’s proclamation, which seeks to whitewash our history, is cowardly and unpatriotic. It must fail,” Jeffries wrote.

Jeffries accused Trump of specifically targeting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, apparently for highlighting the enduring legacy of slavery and the civil rights movement that ended legal segregation in the U.S.

“To be clear: Black history is American history,” added Jeffries, who is traveling overseas with a congressional delegation. “It cannot and will not be erased.”

Trump issued the order last month as part of a flurry of moves aimed at rolling back what he calls dangerous progressive “woke ideology” and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in major American institutions.

But Jeffries said the Smithsonian and the NMAAHC “tell the American story honestly and completely.” He compared Trump’s order to efforts by totalitarian regimes to twist history to suit their interests.

Roberts sits on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents and serves as chancellor. He did not immediately respond to the message.

Vice President JD Vance was also recently named to the Smithsonian board, which holds its next meeting in June.

Trump’s proclamation ordered Vance to push to get rid of exhibits and content at Smithsonian museums that fail to “remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage.”