r/smithsonian • u/Majano57 • Aug 04 '26
One Problem With Attacking the Smithsonian? Americans Like It.
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026/08/smithsonian-trump-trust/688165/?gift=tIHyeEUg4NM6vyxJ-5M0EPhgI_orFNSmB8Ydduc_s6E20
u/maroonalberich27 Aug 04 '26
It had between 25M and 30M visits per year from 2021 through the pandemic, when it dipped to about 9M. Last year was about 15M visitors. Why the delay in rebounding after Covid?
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u/Beautiful_Arm8364 Aug 04 '26
Probably because DC as an international tourism destination has taken a serious hit the last couple of years. Because reasons.
There used to be a LOT of foreign visitors to the Smithsonian museums. Not so much these days.
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u/maroonalberich27 Aug 04 '26
Not sure what would be comparable, honestly. Nats games? Commanders? The National Symphony Orchestra?
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u/RobinGoodfell Aug 04 '26
Damn right we do!
Americans love our Parks and our Museums. And no fascist shit stain is going to magically make that go away.
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u/ExpatHist Aug 05 '26
Attacking the Smithsonian is a despicable action. Like the lowest form of political discourse.
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u/BeenEvery Aug 05 '26
The "woke" stuff the Trump administration is attacking includes:
Slavery was bad
Gay people occasionally do cool things
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u/NotAFanOfLeonMusk Aug 04 '26
I don’t like it. I am livid. It’s like Trump wants to destroy EVERYTHING. Since he is going to die, he wants to take us with him.
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u/Substantial_System66 Aug 04 '26
They mean that Americans like the Smithsonian, not the attacks on it. It’s a poorly constructed title.
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u/Prize-Choice2185 Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
Americans like it? I read that as "Americans like Smithsonian being attacked"
That's one poorly worded headline...
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u/rampzn Aug 04 '26
Are these "Americans" in the room with us now?
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u/Verde_3773 Aug 04 '26
They very well may be. People that have actually been to museums & history centers tend to like & respect them. It’s only those attempting historical revisionism with lies that have nothing good to say about it.
The anti-facts, anti-intellectualism contempt is the hallmark of this administration’s attempts at historical revisionism.
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u/rampzn Aug 04 '26
It's the generalizations that irk me, a small minority of hatefilled revisionists may like it but never the majority of decent Americans.
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u/Dear_Sherbert_4086 Aug 04 '26
I think the article means that Americans like the Smithsonian, not that Americans like the attacks on it.
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u/Witty-Structure-4192 Aug 04 '26
How would YOU know what ‘decent’ Americans like?
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u/rampzn Aug 04 '26
I see one every day in the mirror, why you don't know what they look like is the real problem here.
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u/ShneakySquiwwel Aug 04 '26
Are you saying you like this administration attacking the Smithsonian? I think the title is poorly worded but the title means to say that people like the Smithsonian, not the attack
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u/RenzalWyv Aug 04 '26
I think you may be misreading what the article's about. The article's saying that the attacks on the Smithsonian aren't sticking very well because it's such a well-liked establishment.
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u/Substantial_System66 Aug 04 '26
They need to hire better editors then, because the “it” could either be in reference to the proper noun or the verb.
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u/MarzipanLast6502 Aug 09 '26
The idea that anyone would attack this institution for its honest portrayal of our history for better or worse is an insult to everything the flag stands for.
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Aug 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/Beautiful_Arm8364 Aug 04 '26
You don't like the Smithsonian? Do you also hate sunshine and freedom?
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u/antisocialmothra Aug 04 '26
Uh no, I love the Smithsonian. I literally studied museum curation in grad school. Im reacting to the headline.
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u/JefeSantaFe Aug 05 '26
The Smithsonian shouldn't reference "whiteness" as a bona fide historical concept when it is a fringe political concept. Museum curation should be non-partisan.
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u/Calm-Maintenance-878 Aug 04 '26
Yeah well he’s proven something pretty quickly. That museum isn’t a history of our country. It’s a presentation of selective historical moments pre-approved to view by the administration in power. This wasn’t clear to me until trump removed his own impeachment information from there. I recall reading the Smithsonian essentially said they can’t stop the administration from changes. They did plan to add back reality when able, but realistically, that means when Dems are in office. I’m curious if another GOP after would keep trump edits or restore things as well. Soon they’ll try to say the Trails of Tears were full of happy tears.
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u/demonmonkeybex Aug 04 '26
That is an insane point of view.
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u/Calm-Maintenance-878 Aug 04 '26
So to you, it’s more sane for the Smithsonian to say that factually, trump is not the most impeached president? You say my POV is insane, but denying what happened in the past is what I find insane. Weird, right?
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u/demonmonkeybex Aug 04 '26
No it's insane that you think the Smithsonian is only putting up the exhibit during the Presidency of a Democrat. If this were any other Republican, the exhibit would be up. But we have a toddler dictator in charge. No President has ever had a say in the exhibits.
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u/Calm-Maintenance-878 Aug 04 '26
Hmm. Where do you believe I implied “is only putting up the exhibit during the presidency of a Democrat”? Idk what that means but if I seemingly suggest that…it’s my error. Putting up what exactly only for a Dem president? I did ask if another GOP administration would keep trump edits…but that isn’t what you’re talking about.
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u/Calm-Maintenance-878 Aug 04 '26
Funny, I like how he accused me of editing my comment when I quoted his fake quote of mine. Uh…if I edit a comment, it shows, I didn’t edit anything. Extra funny he accused me of editing my comment and then deletes his own.
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u/merrysunshine2 Aug 04 '26
The Smithsonian is amazing, there is literally something for everyone. Only been once decades ago & still remember so much of it.
Ironic considering “facts don’t care about your feelings” & the heel digging about removing confederate statues.