Trump Announced a 'Review' of the Smithsonian, and Boy Oh Boy, Does the Internet Have Theories About What's Really Going On

In the normal course of things, when the Executive Branch of the United States government decides to review a part of the operations of an institution that falls under its jurisdiction, it's sort of par for the course. In this case, the Trump Administration is taking a look at the Smithsonian Institution to decide if it's presenting our national history and identity in a fair way. After all, the museums represent all of us, not just to ourselves, but to the world. 

And it follows therefore that such a debate is not only healthy, but necessary to have from time to time. And this announcement has set off such a debate across all media. With Trump's opposition:

... and his supporters:

… the central fact that Cubans fled Castro’s communist regime, instead framing the crisis solely as the result of U.S. support for dictators—a misleading oversimplification. 

While the U.S. did back Batista—an unpopular and corrupt leader—mass emigration began after Castro seized power in 1959. Cuba became a one-party communist state allied with the Soviet Union; political opponents, journalists, and business owners were jailed, executed, or driven into exile; private property was nationalized; dissent was criminalized.  

Like the rest of the exhibit, this framing reduces a complex history to a narrative in which the United States alone destabilized the developing world. I oppose interventionist U.S. foreign policy, but this is not an honest or complete portrayal of what happened in Cuba. Period. 

… getting their say. Which is how this is supposed to work. The Smithsonian is basically America's dating app profile. It's important that we reach somewhat of a consensus as to how we use it to promote ourselves to anyone interested in hooking up with us. Besides, we survived a Civil War. We can certainly endure an argument over whether every exhibit in the "Entertainment Nation" section of the American History Museum needs to have a note reminding you how terrible the country has been when people just want to see Star Wars stuff and Dorothy's ruby slippers without the republic falling. 

But this is 2025, making it anything but "the normal course of things." So when Trump announced this, it was inevitable that he was going to inspire the wildest of conspiracy theories. And I for one am here for all of them.

Ah, yes. The tunnels. Let's hear more about the tunnels:

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… will have access to the Smithsonian tunnels beneath the National Mall, while he just so happens to have military presence and full control of DC. 

These tunnels could be used to mask the movement of troops, perps, equipment, etc. I find the timing of Trump conducting a “comprehensive internal review” of the Smithsonian museums to be a little suspicious to say the least. 

Tunnels that can be used to operate … what? A underground army? A subterranean takeover of the nation's capital? Make an alliance with the Lizard People? The Underminer, perhaps?

Or something even more powerful?

Then there's the theory that makes keeping the Ark of the Covenant in a warehouse sound as dramatic as a visit to The Postal Museum. And it's the idea that the Smithsonian is hiding evidence of an ancient civilization of actual fooking giants:

… have been instrumental in writing history in how they wanted it to control public behavior and perception. They are extremely guilty for falsifying records and changing historical discoveries. 

You know that Orwell quote? That is exactly what the Smithsonian exists for. Giants were found all over the place. Why was it so important to hide them from us? Look who currently runs the Smithsonian.  

Seems he has a reason to obscure history. 

That's one that AJ Gentile addressed. Both on his "Why Files" channel and with Joe Rogan:

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The SparkNotes version is that a 1909 edition of the Arizona Gazette told of an explorer from the Smithsonian named GE Kincaid, who found a tunnel in a sheer cliff wall of the Grand Canyon, some 2,000 feet above the riverbed. Inside, he found markings somewhat similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics, but not exactly identifiable as any known language. As well as 

a large statue resembling Buddha, along with various artifacts including copper weapons, shields, vases, urns, and gold items. All of which suggested an ancient and advanced civilization unknown to modern humans. 

The theory goes that thousands of these items, including mummified remains, were shipped back to the Smithsonian, never to be mentioned again. And that, in fact, Kincaid himself was erased from the history books along with his fellow researcher, archaeology professor SA Jordan. 

In all, the Smithsonian is estimated by some to be warehousing over 150 million artifacts, many of them kept from the public. And in fact, the institution is exempt from the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Meaning they can hold onto whatever they want, with no oversight whatsoever.

And today, you can't get anywhere near the site of Kincaid and Jordan's alleged discovery. The entire area is off-limits. And if anyone ventures near, they're followed by unmarked white planes and black helicopters. Even conceding that it's possible the Gazette account was a hoax fabricated to sell newspapers, that's a weird dynamic to say the least.

Personally, I'd love to see everything the Smithsonian has possession of revealed to those of us who are paying to keep the lights on and the items secure. So there's some remote hope that this "wide-ranging review of exhibitions, materials and operations" will lead to some big (literally) reveal about giants and ancient pre-Columbian dwellings carved into cliff walls in Arizona. But I'm not holding my breath. We're still waiting on Epstein's client lists, who killed the Kennedys and MLK, and whether or not Fort Knox has been emptied.

In the meantime, we'll just be screaming at each other over the content in a museum where they have Archie Bunker's chair and Fonzie's leather jacket. I guess that will have to do for now. Just watch out for a military takeover of the tunnels.