More broadly, there’s concern that the creation of a privately run presidential museum undermines the ideal of nonpartisan public history.
Timothy Naftali, the former director of the Richard Nixon library, where he is credited with overhauling museum exhibits to give a more honest accounting of Watergate, called the decision “a huge mistake.”
“It was astounding to me that a good presidency would do this,” Mr. Naftali said.
“It opens the door,” he added, “to a truly terrible Trump library.”