Trump administration opens MAGA art exhibit to counter Smithsonian's alleged "bias"

The Trump administration opened the Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy exhibit at the Art Museum of the Americas on Thursday, featuring AI-generated images of the founding fathers, a Betsy Ross-inspired wedding dress, and an American flag made from 44,500 toy soldiers. The State Department launched the exhibit to counter alleged bias at the Smithsonian, which President Donald Trump has criticized for portraying U.S. history negatively. Erin Scavino, who leads the State Department's Art in Embassies program, said the exhibit "isn't one that's going to make you think about horribly dark things," and a State Department spokesman said professional historians were not consulted because "we don't need professional revisionists to dictate our nation's history to us.

Trump administration opens MAGA art exhibit to counter Smithsonian's alleged "bias" Washington DC - President Donald Trump https://www.tag24.com/en/news/politics/politicians/donald-trump 's administration recently opened an art exhibit to combat alleged "bias" shown by the Smithsonian. According to The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/arts/design/trump-exhibition-patriotism.html , the State Department launched its Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy exhibit at the Art Museum of the Americas on Thursday. The exhibit is said to feature works offering an "alternative view of national identity," such as AI-generated images of the founding fathers, a wedding dress inspired by Betsy Ross, and an American flag made using 44,500 toy soldiers. The event, which runs through October 18, comes as Trump has repeatedly criticized the Smithsonian https://www.tag24.com/en/news/politics/politicians/donald-trump/trump-orders-smithsonian-museum-to-put-up-disclaimer-signs-for-inaccurate-info-on-american-history-3518793 over exhibits he claims paint US history in a derogatory light or make white Americans feel "guilt" – especially regarding slavery or civil rights. In an interview with Axios https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2026/07/24/trump-patriotic-exhibit-dc-art-in-embassies , Erin Scavino, who leads the State Department's Art in Embassies program, insisted the exhibit "isn't one that's going to make you think about horribly dark things or things that have been a blemish on the face of America." Several sources involved with the event told the Times that no historians or professional art curators collaborated on the exhibition. In a statement about the exhibit, a spokesman for the State Department argued that it wasn't necessary to consult with experts. "We don't need professional revisionists to dictate our nation's history to us; we all know what our flag stands for, who our founding fathers are, and the exhibition will speak for itself," the spokesperson added. Cover photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP