'Are We Creating Critical Thinkers?' Historians Say Smithsonian Review Reflects Today's Anti-Intellectualism

“We're in a very dangerous moment when everybody's considered an expert, where your training doesn't matter."

Sep 04, 2025

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(Photo by Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons)

Ask any historian what they felt when President Donald Trump announced in August that his team would conduct a “comprehensive internal review” of select Smithsonian Institute museums and exhibits, and they all have similar answers: Fear, despair and confusion. But what’s even more prominent and disconcer…

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A guest post by

Candice Frederick

Candice Frederick is a culture journalist and former Senior Culture Reporter at HuffPost. She's also written for The Daily Beast, Time, New York Times, Washington Post, ELLE and Harper's Bazaar. She's based in Brooklyn, NY.