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WASHINGTON — <\/span>The Smithsonian Institution gave the White House new documents on its planned exhibits Tuesday in response to a demand to share precise details of what its museums and other programs are doing for America\u2019s 250th birthday.<\/p>\n For months, President Donald Trump has been pressing the Smithsonian to back off \u201cdivisive narratives\u201d and tell an upbeat story on the country\u2019s history and culture, with the threat of holding back federal money if it doesn\u2019t. The institution is a cornerstone of American culture, operating 21 museums and a zoo that are among the most popular tourist destinations in Washington.<\/p>\n By Tuesday, the Smithsonian was supposed to provide lists of all displays, objects, wall text and other material dedicated to this year\u2019s anniversary and other purposes. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III told staff, in an email obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post, that \u201cwe transmitted more information in response to that request.\u201d<\/p>\n The White House did not respond to a request for comment, leaving it unclear whether it was satisfied with the material it received. Bunch indicated there was more to come, saying the institution will continue to engage in providing \u201crelevant and appropriate materials.\u201d<\/p>\n The Trump administration\u2019s intent is to ensure Americans get an positive accounting<\/a> of the country\u2019s history, not one weighted by complexities or shameful episodes of the past. <\/p>\n The ultimatum was laid out in a Dec. 18 letter<\/a> to Bunch from the White House budget director, Russell Vought, and the domestic policy director, Vince Haley.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wish to be assured that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world,\u201d the letter said. <\/p>\n Americans \u201cwill have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America\u2019s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history, one which is justifiably proud of our country\u2019s accomplishments and record.\u201d<\/p>\n The Smithsonian is not a federal entity but receives a majority of its money from Congress.<\/p>\n The White House initially asked for all relevant materials in September but said documents turned over by the Smithsonian fell far short of what it requested. <\/p>\n In his March executive order<\/a>, Trump claimed there had been a \u201cconcerted and widespread\u201d effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing \u201cobjective facts\u201d with a \u201cdistorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.\u201d <\/p>\n As part of that, Vice President JD Vance was placed on the Smithsonian\u2019s Board of Regents to oversee efforts to \u201cremove improper ideology\u201d from all areas of the institution.<\/p>\n The Smithsonian and the White House did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon. <\/p>\n The prospect of polishing the historical record to satisfy a president is concerning to many who study the past.<\/p>\n \u201cHistory is about evidence,” said Matthew Delmont, a history professor at Dartmouth College. \u201cIt’s about welcoming complexity and nuance. It\u2019s not about crafting a single story that needs to make everyone feel happy.\u201d<\/p>\n Jim McSweeney, a retired archivist from the National Archives, said: \u201cHere\u2019s our history. Here\u2019s our shared experience. We have to learn from it and never go back and try to whitewash or change anything based upon your political leanings.\u201d<\/p>\n In the months leading up to Trump\u2019s order in August for an official review of all Smithsonian exhibits<\/a>, Trump fired the head archivist of the National Archives<\/a> and said he was firing the National Portrait Gallery\u2019s director, Kim Sajet, who maintained the backing of the Smithsonian\u2019s governing board, but ultimately resigned. <\/p>\n Already, references to Trump\u2019s two impeachments have been removed from his photo portrait display at the Smithsonian\u2019s National Portrait Gallery in its \u201cAmerican Presidents\u201d exhibition, though the text was available online.<\/a><\/p>\n Administration officials have couched the accounting as work needed before the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, which the letter calls \u201ca singular opportunity to justify confidence in the operations of America\u2019s leading cultural institutions.\u201d <\/p>\n The Smithsonian review is just one part of Trump’s broadside against a culture he deems too liberal.<\/p>\n Trump fired the board<\/a> of the Kennedy Center, one of the nation\u2019s premier cultural institutions, handpicking a new one that voted to add his name<\/a> to the storied complex\u2019s exterior. In the months since, a number of artists have withdrawn from performances<\/a> at the venue, some citing the name change and Trump\u2019s involvement.<\/p>\n At the White House, Trump designed a partisan and subjective \u201cPresidential Walk of Fame\u201d<\/a> featuring gilded photographs of himself and predecessors, with plaques on what they did. He excludes Democrat Joe Biden, who is represented instead by an autopen to symbolize what Trump has described as a presidency in absentia.<\/p>\n At the time, the White House said Trump was a primary author of the plaques, which praised him as a historically successful figure and described Biden as the worst president in history and one who brought the U.S. to “the brink of destruction.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n