Democracy Dies in DarknessArtNational Portrait Gallery curators have found a way to counter the Trump administration: with facts.May 15, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. EDTYesterday at 8:30 a.m. EDT“America’s Presidents” at the National Portrait Gallery is reopening after a month-long refresh. (Valerie Plesch/For The Washington Post)Since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, the Smithsonian has been the administration’s favored target for its new museum-focused culture war against diversity and inclusion, and narratives of U.S. history that include the ugly truth of slavery, Native American genocide, and the ongoing struggle for the rights of women, Latinos, Asian Americans, immigrants, LGBT communities and others.