Smithsonian removes mention of the two impeachment trials against Donald Trump
References to the impeachment trials against Trump have been removed from the exhibition The Limits of Presidential Power.
Smithsonian Institution staff have temporarily removed mention of all presidential impeachment efforts, including mentions of the two impeachments against President Donald Trump, from a exhibit on presidential power.
The mentions of impeachment were part of an exhibit titled Limits on Presidential Power, but have been removed while the Smithsonian renovates the exhibit, which was last updated in 2008, according to ABC News.
"In recently reviewing our legacy content, it became apparent that the 'Limits on Presidential Power' section of 'The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden' needed to be addressed," a Smithsonian spokesperson told ABC News.
"This section covers Congress, the Supreme Court, impeachment, and opinion public,” he added.
A temporary label within the exhibit described the two impeachment trials against Trump and those of former Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.
Also addressed was the pending impeachment of former President Richard Nixon, who resigned before the House of Representatives could vote on articles of impeachment against him.
The label also informed visitors that the exhibition’s case is being redesigned, a process currently underway.
Until the exhibit is updated, mentions of Trump’s impeachment or other political trials will not be included.
“A future, updated exhibit will include every impeachment,” Smithsonian staff told The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, the exhibit states, “Only three presidents have seriously faced impeachment.”
The exhibit “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden” opened at the Smithsonian in 2000.
The exhibit features photos of Johnson’s impeachment prosecutors in 1868,the investigative report that led to Clinton's impeachment in 1999 and a filing cabinet damaged during the 1972 break-in at the Watergate Hotel that led to Nixon's resignation two years later.
An online version of the exhibit still includes information about all five impeachment attempts.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump in 2019 due to alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress regarding its so-called investigation into Russian interference in the election, known as Russiagate.
The House voted again to impeach Trump on January 13, 2021, days after the January 6 Capitol riot, as the Senate was in formal session to confirm former President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Both impeachment attempts failed in the Senate.

