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Trump calls Smithsonian ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ and orders sweeping review of all museums and programming
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President Donald Trump escalated his battle for American culture with the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday, ordering a broad review of the nation’s leading museums after blasting them on Truth Social as «the last remaining segment of WOKE.» The move was also formalized in a White House letter released in a letter Aug. 12 to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch.
Trump’s post accused the Smithsonian as well as other museums nationwide of pushing narratives that disparage the U.S. rather than celebrate its achievements.
«The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,’» Trump wrote. «The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL … Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.»
He added: «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.»
AMERICAN HISTORY WON’T BE DISPLAYED ‘IN A WOKE MANNER’ AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS
President Donald Trump blasted the Smithsonian on Truth Social on Tuesday for being ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ and ‘WOKE.’ (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
The letter instructs Smithsonian leaders to provide exhibition plans, internal guidelines, and America 250 programming materials for review.
«As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s founding, it is more important than ever that our national museums reflect the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story,» the letter stated. «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.»
According to administration officials, the review will focus on public-facing content, curatorial processes, exhibition planning, collection use, and overall narrative standards.
The initial phase will target the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CALLS OUT SMITHSONIAN FOR PUSHING ‘ONE-SIDED, DIVISIVE POLITICAL NARRATIVES’
The sweeping review includes eight museums, most of which are under the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Tuesday’s announcement follows earlier White House criticism of specific Smithsonian exhibitions. On July 5, Fox News Digital reported that officials had singled out the Entertainment Nation exhibit at the National Museum of American History for review.
At the time, White House special assistant Lindsey Halligan said to Fox News Digital, «American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives. The Smithsonian Institution should present history in a way that is accurate, balanced, and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional.»
Among the panels singled out by the White House was a 1920s circus poster described as reflecting «the colonial impulse to claim dominion over the world.» Another display reinterpreted the Lone Ranger, comparing the character’s relationship with Tonto to U.S. global dominance. A third panel suggested that Mickey Mouse’s original design in Steamboat Willie drew on traditions of blackface minstrelsy.
WHITE HOUSE REVIEWING ALL SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM, EXHIBIT CONTENT BEFORE AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION IN 2026
A Smithsonian exhibit placard from the National Museum of American History describes 1920s circus performances as expressing «the colonial impulse to claim dominion over the world.» (Fox News Digital)
Despite the sharp rhetoric, the letter said the White House sees the review as a constructive process.
«Our goal is not to interfere with the day-to-day operations of curators or staff, but rather to support a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage,» officials wrote.
The timeline requires museums to submit requested materials within 30 days, schedule staff interviews within 75 days, and begin implementing content corrections within 120 days. The corrections, the letter said, should replace «divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.»
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White House officials closed the letter by presenting the initiative as a collaborative effort with Smithsonian staff. «We view this process as a collaborative and forward-looking opportunity, one that empowers museum staff to embrace a revitalized curatorial vision rooted in the strength, breadth, and achievements of the American story,» the letter stated.
«By focusing on Americanism — the people, principles, and progress that define our nation — we can work together to renew the Smithsonian’s role as the world’s leading museum institution.»
The White House and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
donald trump,arts,executive,white house,politics,woke,washington dc,museums exhibits
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Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United States back to the South American country, Venezuela’s foreign ministry said, prompting criticism from anti-intervention voices.
President Donald Trump warned pilots Saturday that the airspace «above and surrounding» Venezuela should be «closed in its entirety» as his administration weighs potential strikes on targets in and around Caracas.
«Through this action, the United States government has unilaterally suspended the Venezuelan migrant flights that were being carried out regularly and weekly as part of the repatriation of Venezuelans through the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan),» the ministry said in a statement.
The deportation flights had been one of the only areas of cooperation between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials say nearly 14,000 nationals have been returned on twice-weekly charter flights in recent months.
The deportation flights had been one of the only areas of cooperation between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro. (Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images)
VENEZUELA AGREES TO RESUME DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FROM TRUMP
At the same time, the Trump administration has continued moving forward with plans to end temporary protected status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States.
«Genius. Enough with this immigration enforcement nonsense. Let’s get back to True MAGA — neocon wars that exacerbate and cause migration crises. About darn time,» said Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, criticizing the shift toward military action.
So far, U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. But officials have signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.
VENEZUELA WILL FACE ‘SEVERE, AND ESCALATING SANCTIONS’ IF IT DOESN’T ACCEPT ITS CITIZENS, RUBIO SAYS
Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of strikes against Venezuelan targets.
Venezuelan migrants repatriated from the U.S. gesture seen upon arrival at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, April 4, 2025. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)
Venezuelan migrants flown from Guantanamo Bay via Honduras walk up a ladder after arriving on a deportation flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, La Guaira State, Venezuela, February 20, 2025. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)
Trump confirmed he spoke with Maduro by phone recently.
«I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,» he told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday.
Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum — step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro, the Miami Herald reported, sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power.
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Restraint-minded foreign policy analysts have sounded the alarm against a regime-change-driven intervention in Venezuela, arguing such a move could make migration patterns worse.
«Escalatory dynamics could trigger regional instability and hostility, with migration flows among the most predictable consequences,» a report by Stimson Center analysts Evan Cooper and Alessandro Perri claimed. «Absent a credible transition structure inside Venezuela, external pressure is far more likely to deepen chaos — driving more Venezuelans to flee — than to produce political change.»
Analysts in the libertarian foreign-policy space have issued similar warnings.
Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argued that «U.S. militarized pressure on Venezuela is far more likely to worsen instability than to produce meaningful political change,» adding that history shows «coercion in Venezuela leads to unpredictable outcomes and episodes of mass flight.»
«Escalation without a stable political alternative inside Venezuela risks accelerating the very migration pressures Washington is trying to contain,» said George A. López, a senior analyst at the Quincy Institute.
venezuelan political crisis,immigration,homeland security
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A 19-year-old man was mauled to death after climbing into a lion enclosure Sunday morning in Brazil.
Viral video captured the incident, showing the victim scaling a roughly 26-foot-tall fence to enter the lioness’s enclosure at Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park, known locally as Bica, in João Pessoa, Paraíba.
Local media Correio Braziliense identified the victim as Gerson de Melo Machado who has long aspired to be a lion tamer. Machado reportedly had mental health issues and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The zoo confirmed in a statement that the individual deliberately entered the enclosure, was attacked by the animal, and did not survive his injuries.
RISING CLIMBING STAR PLUNGES TO DEATH FROM YOSEMITE’S EL CAPITAN MID-LIVESTREAM
An lioness stands on a platform at a zoo enclosure on Aug. 19, 2024. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu)
«The Arruda Câmara Zoobotanical Park (Bica) deeply regrets what happened this Sunday morning, when a man deliberately invaded the lioness’s enclosure, resulting in his death,» the zoo said in a statement on social media Sunday. «This is an extremely sad episode for everyone, and we express our solidarity and condolences to the family and friends of the man.»
In the video, witnesses watched in horror as the teen climbed the towering fence and shimmied down a nearby tree. A lion in the enclosure spotted him, prowled to the base of the tree and waited as he continued his descent.
When the boy got close enough to the ground, the lion sprang on him. He tried to flee, disappearing into the bushes and briefly reappearing during his escape, only to be leapt on again by the lioness. The mauling then continued out of view behind a wall.
MAN CAUGHT ON CAMERA APPROACHING, SPRAYING UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE TOWARD YELLOWSTONE WOLVES: RANGERS
Zoo patrons look through a window at a lion enclosure on Feb. 21, 2008. (Justin Sullivan)
Following the incident, the park was closed to allow for safety procedures and the removal of the body. The zoo stated that Bica will remain closed to visitors until the investigation and all official procedures are complete.
Machado had struggled with mental health issues throughout his life, and his mother had also been diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to Correio, which cited child welfare counselor Verônica Oliveira, who had been monitoring him since childhood. Oliveira told the outlet that Machado had always dreamed of traveling to Africa to become a lion tamer and was once caught hiding in the landing gear of a plane, believing it would take him there.
The zoo stated it does not plan to euthanize the lion, emphasizing that the killing resulted from deliberate trespassing, an incident that was «completely unpredictable» and «outside of any scenario within the park’s routine.»
Visitors view two lions through a window in their enclosure on July 22, 2025. (Justin Sullivan)
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The lion is reportedly stressed but shows no signs of behavior that would warrant concern for euthanasia.
«It is important to emphasize that euthanasia was never considered,» the zoo said. «Leona is healthy, does not exhibit aggressive behavior outside the context of the incident, and will not be euthanized.»
brazil,mammals,mental health
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