Do voters back Trump's push to remove 'WOKE' museum exhibits? What poll finds

Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald on Aug 28, 2025

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Most Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s proposed review of the Smithsonian Institution’s museums, which he derided as “WOKE,” according to new polling.

In the latest Quinnipiac University survey, 60% of respondents said they oppose the Trump administration conducting a “comprehensive internal review” of museum exhibits.

Meanwhile, 33% said they support this, and 7% said they were not sure.

Responses largely broke along partisan lines. Ninety-four percent of Democrats and 66% of independents said they were against Trump’s review, while 68% of Republicans said they were in favor.

The poll sampled 1,220 registered voters Aug. 21-25 and has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

The Smithsonian saga began on Aug. 12, when the White House announced it would lead an internal review of certain museum exhibits. The purpose, it said, is to ensure museums are promoting American exceptionalism and avoiding partisan narratives.

A week later, Trump himself called out the Smithsonian — which houses the American History Museum and the African American History and Culture Museum, among over a dozen others — in a post on Truth Social, describing it as “the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE.’”

“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” he added.

On Aug. 21, the White House published a document titled “President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian.” It highlights specific exhibits the administration opposes, including a painting of a family illegally crossing the southern border and an animation of Anthony Fauci.

In response, some Democrats have pushed back against Trump’s proposed review.

“In a democracy, one person does not rule our thoughts, values, and beliefs, nor dictate how history should be recorded and interpreted,” Rep. Chellie Pingree from Maine wrote in an Aug. 15 letter to the president. “I strongly urge you to rescind this proposed review and instead work to advance the curatorial independence that has served the Smithsonian Institution well for over 175 years and made it an Institution the public can trust.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — who ran on Vice President Kamala Harris’ ticket in 2024 — wrote on X, “If you’re trying to erase history, you’re on the wrong side of it.”

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