Inside Trump’s D.C. Takeover, and the White House Takes On the Smithsonian

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Headlines - "Inside Trump’s D.C. Takeover, and the White House Takes On the Smithsonian"

Release Date: August 13, 2025
Host: Tracy Mumford
Produced by: The New York Times

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1. Trump’s D.C. Takeover: Deployment of National Guard and Federal Agents

Overview: The episode opens with an on-the-ground report from Washington, D.C., where the new Trump administration has initiated a significant crackdown on what it describes as rampant crime in the city. The administration has deployed 800 National Guard members alongside 500 federal agents with the stated mission of combating violent crime.

Key Details:

• Deployment Tactics: Nicholas Bogle Burros reports observing National Guard troops near the Washington Monument. The presence was primarily symbolic, aimed at showcasing a show of force rather than active law enforcement, as Guard members lack arrest authority.

  Tracy Mumford explains: "Trump has taken control of the city's police department and deployed 800 National Guard members along with 500 federal agents to fight what he's called out of control crime." [01:03]

• Public Interaction: Initial deployments involved National Guard members taking photos, engaging positively with tourists, and conducting what appears to be presence patrols.

  Nick describes his experience: "All that I saw them do is have one Guard member take photos of other Guard members... So we saw you guys arrive and then take some pictures." [00:42]

• Government Response: The White House press secretary has pledged that this is only the beginning, with plans to intensify efforts over the next month to arrest individuals deemed violent criminals.

  Tracy Mumford states: "The White House press secretary promised this is only the beginning." [01:57]

• Contrasting Views: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser vehemently opposed the administration's portrayal of the city, emphasizing that while challenges exist, they are being managed internally without the need for external force.

  Bowser's sentiment summarized: "We are not 700,000 scumbags and punks... We take care of our own business and we take care of our own people." [02:30]

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2. White House’s Efforts to Reshape the Smithsonian

Overview: The Trump administration has commenced a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian Institution, aiming to align its exhibits and messaging with what it defines as "American ideals." This move is perceived as an attempt to influence the narrative around American history and culture.

Key Details:

• Scope of Review: The administration will scrutinize displays, websites, and social media of various Smithsonian museums, including the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of African American History and Culture.

  Tracy Mumford reports: "The administration said it will start scouring the displays... to assess, quote, tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals." [03:12]

• Historical Context: Earlier executive orders criticized the Smithsonian for what the administration described as a "divisive race centered ideology," alleging that exhibits portray American and Western values negatively.

  Graham Boley comments: "This is about museum labels and text... it's the big picture of how America sees itself." [04:12]

• Budgetary Influence: With the Smithsonian receiving approximately two-thirds of its funding from the federal government, the administration wields significant leverage over the institution’s operations.

• Response from Historians: Experts express deep concern, characterizing the administration's actions as an unprecedented attack on the academic and deliberate presentation of American history.

  Graham Boley cites a historian: "This is an unprecedented assault... they have never seen anything like it before." [05:08]

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3. National Park Service’s Content Removal Mandate

Overview: In tandem with efforts to influence the Smithsonian, the administration has directed the National Park Service to remove or obscure content deemed to disparage Americans, whether from the past or present.

Key Details:

• Deadline and Objectives: By September, all flagged content must be addressed to "remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage," as stated by the Secretary of the Interior.

  Tracy Mumford details: "Staff at the National Park Service are facing a September deadline... to remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage." [05:39]

• Targeted Content: Specific exhibits under scrutiny include narratives on the brutality of slavery in Philadelphia and the history of imprisoned Native Americans in Florida.

• Critics’ Concerns: Opponents argue that these measures amount to censorship, potentially erasing critical and uncomfortable aspects of American history.

  Former Yellowstone superintendent asserts: "We have things in our history that we are not proud of... we shouldn't just tell all the things that make us look wonderful." [06:34]

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4. Russian Hacking Campaign Targeting U.S. Federal Court Records

Overview: The podcast highlights a significant cybersecurity breach attributed to Russian actors targeting U.S. federal court records. This campaign has compromised sensitive information, including intelligence sources and individuals involved in national security cases.

Key Details:

• Nature of the Breach: Described as persistent and sophisticated, the hackers have been infiltrating court systems since at least 2021, leading to enhanced security measures such as burner phones for judges and alternate secure communication channels.

  Tracy Mumford explains: "Officials have been targeting those records for years... including highly sensitive information." [06:39]

• Impact and Response: Recent breaches have prompted courts to implement stricter protective measures, including prohibiting the uploading of sealed documents to federal databases.

• Political Implications: The timing of the breach coincides with President Trump’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Historical context notes Trump’s previous downplaying of Russian cyber threats.

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5. Music Industry’s Revival of Classic Hits through New Music Videos

Overview: Shifting to a lighter topic, the episode explores a trend in the music industry where record labels are revitalizing older songs by producing new music videos, thereby attracting both nostalgic audiences and new listeners.

Key Details:

• Strategic Approach: By creating visually appealing content for decades-old tracks, labels aim to leverage nostalgia and enhance virality on social media platforms.

  Tracy Mumford narrates: "The idea is that a video can play on original fans nostalgia but also draw new audiences or even go viral on social media." [06:34]

• Notable Examples:

  • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah released a video for a 2005 hit.
  • LL Cool J's "Rock the Bells" from 1985 received a new video recently.
  • Talking Heads launched a video for their 1977 song "Psycho Killer," featuring Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan, which amassed a million views within 24 hours.

• Outcomes: These initiatives have successfully boosted streams and renewed interest in the artists’ broader catalogs.

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Conclusion

In this episode of "The Headlines," Tracy Mumford and her colleagues delve into the Trump administration's aggressive actions in Washington, D.C., and toward cultural institutions like the Smithsonian and National Park Service. Coupled with concerns over Russian cyber intrusions into federal systems, the discussions paint a picture of a tumultuous political landscape fraught with power struggles and cultural battles. Additionally, a spotlight on the music industry provides a glimpse into how nostalgia and modern marketing strategies intersect to breathe new life into classic songs.

For a comprehensive understanding of these topics and more, listeners are encouraged to subscribe to The New York Times podcasts via nytimes.com/podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Transcript

[Valerie Hopkins]

I'm Valerie Hopkins. I cover Russia for the New York Times. It's pretty difficult to report from Russia. Often. I'm the only New York Times reporter in the country. I keep working in Russia because what happens here matters. And our audience deserves to get a broad perspective of the world that they live in. If you want to make sure we can keep doing this work, subscribe to the New York Times.

[Nick]

Foreign.

[Tracy Mumford]

From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Wednesday, August 13th. Here's what we're covering.

[Nick]

I'm just getting back just after 1am and I spent the last six or seven hours trying to get a sense of what the new Trump administration initiative looks like on the ground. Can you tell me at all? My name is Nick. I'm with the New York Times. Can you tell me at all what, what you're doing here or what the mission is? I'll have to refer you to our public affairs office.

[Tracy Mumford]

If you would like the number.

[Nick]

The first thing I saw tonight was around sunset by the Washington Monument. About a dozen National Guard troops pulled up in five Humvees and parked practically in the shadow of the monument. Troops got out, stood around. All that I saw them do is have one Guard member take photos of other Guard members who were standing by their Humvees. There were some tourists who wanted to snap some pictures with the Guard members, and they did that very happily. So I saw you guys arrive and then take some pictures. And now heading out? Yep, we're heading out. So we just did a presence patrol, just to be amongst the people. Okay. To be seen. Okay. Of the people, for the people in D.C. so we're the D.C. national Guard. Okay, gotcha. And then within about two hours, they drove away. And any idea where you're headed next or what's next for the mission? I don't know.

[Tracy Mumford]

My colleague Nicholas Bogle Burros was out in Washington, D.C. last night to cover how President Trump's show of force in the city is taking shape. Trump has taken control of the city's police department and deployed 800 National Guard members along with 500 federal agents to fight what he's called out of control crime. And the White House press secretary promised this is only the beginning. Over the course of the next month, the Trump administration will relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the District. Who breaks the law, undermines public safety. In justifying the takeover, the White House has cited false and misleading claims about violent crime in the city, which is actually near a 30 year low and it's still unclear exactly what those who've been deployed will do. Authorities say. The National Guard troops, for example, don't have the authority to make arrests. Their presence is largely a visual show of force. Meanwhile, federal agents who've been sent into the streets have been involved in about three dozen arrests, according to the White House and the FBI. Yesterday, DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back forcefully on the president's continued portrayal of the city as a crime ridden hellscape. We are not 700,000 scumbags and punks and we don't have neighborhoods that should be bulldozed. And while we're not without our challenges, we take care of our own business and we take care of our own people. Bowser urged residents to come together in the face of what she called Trump's authoritarian push. On Tuesday, the White House said it will begin a comprehensive review of what's on display at the Smithsonian as President Trump tries to reshape one of the country's most prominent cultural institutions. In a letter to the Smithsonian's director, the administration said it will start scouring the displays, websites and social media accounts of many of the Smithsonian's museums, including the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of African American History and Culture. The goal is to, quote, assess, tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals.

[Graham Boley]

In the nuts and bolts of this, this is about museum labels and text. It can be quite kind of boring stuff. But in truth, it's the big picture of how America sees itself. President Trump is trying to change the story America tells about itself.

[Tracy Mumford]

My colleague Graham Boley has been reporting on how Trump has been turning up the pressure on the Smithsonian. Earlier this year, he signed an executive order claiming the institution had, quote, come under the influence of a divisive race centered ideology and that it featured exhibits that, quote, portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive. While the president technically doesn't control the museums, his administration has enormous leverage since the Smithsonian gets about two thirds of its budget from the federal government. And Graham says that after the White House conducts its review, the Smithsonian will then have 120 days to replace any content the administration objects to.

[Graham Boley]

The historians we have spoken to in our reporting are very alarmed. This is an unprecedented assault is the word they use on the presentation of American history and culture, which in their view should be a slow, deliberate academic effort, not this abrupt change when it's not clear who is undertaking these changes and according to what methods. One historian who I spoke to said this was out of all professional bounds. They've never seen anything like it before.

[Tracy Mumford]

Meanwhile, staff at the National Park Service are facing a September deadline from the administration to remove or cover up all content that, in its view, inappropriately disparages Americans past or living. The secretary of the interior said he wants to, quote, remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, according to internal Park Service documents. Some of the signage that's been flagged for review includes an exhibit on the brutality of slavery in Philadelphia and a sign at a national monument in Florida that tells the story of imprisoned Native Americans. Critics of the administration's effort warn that it could effectively censor entire parts of American history. And the former superintendent of Yellowstone national park told the Times, we have things in our history that we are not proud of. But that, quote, we shouldn't just tell all the things that make us look wonderful.

[Nick]

Foreign.

[Tracy Mumford]

The Times has learned federal investigators think Russia is at least partly responsible for a recent hacking campaign targeting federal court records. Officials say the hackers, who they described as persistent and sophisticated, breached a computer system that manages those documents, including highly sensitive information that could reveal intelligence sources or the names of people charged with national security crimes. Officials the Times talked with said hackers have been targeting those records for years, going back to at least 2021, and it's led the courts to take special precautions to protect the data. That's included giving judges burner phones and alternate email addresses, and even hand delivering some records that were particularly sensitive. Since they learned about the latest hacking efforts, courts have taken even more protective measures. One judge actually prohibited uploading sealed documents to one federal database altogether. Officials are still scrambling to assess the full scale of the most recent breach. Notably, a number of the cases hackers targeted involved people with Russian or Eastern European names. News of the breach comes just days before President Trump is set to meet with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. In the past, Trump has downplayed efforts by Russia to hack the U.S. even as his own officials accused the country of repeated cyber attacks. And finally, a strange little phenomenon is playing out in the music world. Record labels are finding that on streaming, audiences are stumbling across songs that are 20, 30, and even 60 years old, and they're suddenly getting millions of new listens. To try and capitalize on this, labels are going back and creating music videos for songs that never had them in the first place. For example, the group Clap your Hands say yeah, just came out with a video for its biggest hit, which came out in 2005, and LL Cool Jays Rock the Bells from 1985 got a new video last year. The idea is that a video can play on original fans nostalgia but also draw new audiences or even go viral on social media. The strategy has some artists going all out. This summer, the Talking Heads released a video for their 1977 song Psycho Killer starring the Oscar nominated actress Sir Saoirse Ronan. Releasing a new video for their nearly 50 year old song worked. The Psycho Killer video hit a million views in just 24 hours. And not only did streams for the song itself surge, listenership for the Talking Head's entire catalog got a boost. Those are the headlines today on the Daily How President Trump has turned his retribution campaign against former President Barack Obama. You can find that in the New York Times app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Traci Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.