The Trump administration has criticized the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History for its exhibit on Mickey Mouse, citing concerns over activist framing of American pop culture. A White House report titled ‘Saving America’s Story’ argues that the museum has shifted from neutral historical education toward activism.

Exhibit Criticized

The report singles out a wall label for the 1928 Steamboat Willie cartoon, which reads: ‘Mickey Mouse debuted as the deckhand ‘Steamboat Willie’ in 1928, amidst a rising anxiety felt by many that modern living and city life were eroding family and community ties and loosening moral codes… But the new character’s outsized facial features, white gloves, and trickster temperament were vestiges of longstanding traditions of blackface minstrelsy.’ The White House argues that this framing does not reflect the greatness of the nation.

Historian Nicholas Sammond’s 2015 book Birth of an Industry: Blackface Minstrelsy and the Rise of American Animation argues that early cartoon characters, including Mickey Mouse, drew visual and performative conventions from blackface minstrelsy traditions of the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, the Trump administration’s review is part of a broader effort to remove what it calls improper or divisive ideology from the Smithsonian’s content ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Review and Response

The Smithsonian Institution receives roughly two-thirds of its approximately $1 billion annual budget from federal appropriations. In response to the report and review, a Smithsonian spokesperson stated that the museum is committed to continuous and rigorous scholarship and research and unbiased presentation of facts and history.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.