U.S. museum says admin did not compel impeachment display removal

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The recent removal of a placard at the National Museum of American History that detailed Donald Trump's two impeachments did not come after White House pressure, the museum's parent organization said Saturday.

The placard was meant to be temporary and "did not meet the museum's standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation," the Smithsonian Institution said in a statement on X.

"It was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and moreover blocked the view of the objects inside its case. For these reasons, we removed the placard."

"We were not asked by any Administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit."

The Smithsonian statement came after The Washington Post reported Thursday that the museum last month removed the placard describing Trump's impeachments and reverted to old signage that said "only three presidents have seriously faced removal" — Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

The Post said the removal stemmed from a Smithsonian content review after the White House pressured the organization to remove a director of one of its art museums.