Trump vows to target 'woke' museums with same playbook used on Columbia, Harvard

Kevin Carter | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump on Tuesday said he has ordered his lawyers to snuff out what he calls "woke" content at museums by copying the playbook his administration is using to force concessions from colleges and universities.Trump's command in a Truth Social post calls out the Smithsonian Institution, whose content he targeted in an executive order in March.But it also appears to go further, by criticizing not just "Museums throughout Washington" but those "all over the Country" as being "essentially, the last remaining segment of 'WOKE.'"Asked for clarification, a White House official told CNBC, "President Trump will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable."Either way, the post suggests that the Smithsonian's funding — most of which comes from the federal government — could become a major pressure point as the president seeks to remove unwanted narratives from cultural institutions."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 Success, nothing Brightness, nothing the Future," Trump wrote in the post."We are not going to allow this to happen," he wrote."I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same cess that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous gress has been made.""This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE

We have the 'HOTTEST' Country in the World, and we want people to talk it, including in our Museums," he wrote.The post comes one week after White House officials told the Smithsonian that they will launch "a comprehensive internal review" of its museums.The officials — senior staff secretary Lindsey Halligan, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought — said they are acting in accordance with Trump's executive order for his administration to "remove imper ideology" from Smithsonian perties.Read more CNBC coverageTrump expands 50% steel and aluminum tariffs to include 407 additional duct typesChinese national gets 8 years for smuggling weapons, to North Korea'Security guarantees' for Ukraine mean Europe must now fulfill its miseTrump-Zelenskyy meeting paves the way for Ukraine security guarantees, talks with PutinTraders hope the Ukraine war ends soon

Experts say there's no 'quick fix'Trump tells Zelenskyy to end war, echoing Kremlin demands on Crimea and NATOWhite House envoy claims Russia agreed to 'Article 5-' security guarantees for UkraineZelenskyy to meet with Trump after Putin talks end without a ceasefireTrump hails meeting with Putin as 'ductive' after talks over Ukraine fail to reach a breakthroughFBI Director Patel wins defamation lawsuit over Jan. 6 tweets, awarded $250,000Judge sets hearing Friday on suit challenging Trump takeover of DC police forceThey have asked eight Smithsonian museums to turn over materials within 30 days any exhibits related to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, along with a slew of other materials.The targeted museums include the National Museums of American History, Natural History, African American History and the American Indian.The Smithsonian responded at the time that it is reviewing the request and "will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents."By directing his attorneys to mimic his administration's apach to colleges and universities, Trump appears to be putting the Smithsonian's funding in his sights.That's because the Trump administration has withheld, or threatened, billions of dollars in federal re funding allocated to American universities as it accuses them of wrongdoing, including fostering antisemitism and discrimination against conservatives.The government's actions have affected more than two dozen universities, according to NPR

Some of the most notable names include elite Ivy League schools, such as Harvard, Columbia, Cornell and Duke.The administration has also launched investigations into the schools and, in Harvard's case, targeted their tax-exempt and moved to suspend entry to international students.