January 1, SCANDAL: Smithsonian Caught Rewriting Presidential History

Wyatt’s Take

• The Smithsonian Institution has been caught falsely claiming Richard Nixon was impeached, rewriting basic historical facts at our nation’s most prestigious museum
• Nixon resigned in 1974 before impeachment proceedings concluded — a fundamental fact that every American should know but the Smithsonian apparently forgot
• This isn’t just a mistake; it’s another example of how our institutions distort history to fit their narratives

America’s most trusted museum just got caught red-handed rewriting presidential history. The Smithsonian Institution, funded by your tax dollars, is now telling visitors that Richard Nixon was impeached. He wasn’t.

The false claim appeared in the museum’s exhibits, misleading countless visitors about one of the most significant moments in American political history. Nixon resigned from office on August 9, 1974, before the House of Representatives could vote on articles of impeachment.

I trust that the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery @smithsoniannpg will take immediate steps to correct this mistake, lest its many visitors are misled about the 37th President. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kyBOIYS6Y7

— Jim Byron (@jimbyron_) May 27, 2026

The House Judiciary Committee had approved articles of impeachment in July 1974, but the full House never voted. Nixon left office before they could. That’s not a minor detail — it’s the entire story of Watergate’s conclusion.

Three presidents have actually been impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald Trump twice in 2019 and 2021. None were removed from office by the Senate. Nixon avoided impeachment entirely by resigning.

Critics are calling this more than just a careless error. When the nation’s premier museum can’t get basic presidential history right, it raises serious questions about what else they’re getting wrong. How many other exhibits contain convenient “mistakes” that happen to fit a particular political narrative?

The Smithsonian receives hundreds of millions in federal funding every year. Americans deserve accuracy, not revisionist history that serves an agenda. This isn’t about defending Nixon — it’s about defending the truth.

Conservative watchdog groups have been documenting a pattern of left-leaning bias in cultural institutions for years. Museums, universities, and archives have increasingly presented American history through an activist lens rather than objective scholarship.

The Smithsonian has not yet issued a public correction or explained how such a fundamental error made it into their exhibits. In an institution that employs hundreds of historians and curators, someone should have caught this before it went public.

For working Americans who save up to take their families to Washington, these museum visits matter. Parents want their kids to learn real history, not whatever version happens to be politically convenient at the moment.

What Matters

Our national institutions have one job: preserve and present America’s history truthfully. When they fail at that basic task — whether through incompetence or agenda — they betray the trust of every citizen who funds them. History doesn’t change based on who’s telling the story. Facts are facts. Nixon wasn’t impeached. Get it right, or get out of the history business.