Imel da aka samu kwanan nan sun nuna cewa wasu masu bayar da gudummawa sun yarda su ba da kuɗin ɗaukar hotunan Trump da tsohuwar uwargidan shugaban ƙasa Melania Trump don Gidan Tarihi na Smithsonian na Ƙasa, amma daga ƙarshe Smithsonian ya amince ya karɓi gudummawar dala $650,000 da Trump ya bayar ga PAC Save America.
Wannan gudummawar ita ce karo na farko a cikin tarihin da wata ƙungiyar siyasa ta ba da kuɗaɗen ɗaukar hotunan tsoffin shugabannin ƙasa a gidan tarihi, domin galibi ana biyan su ne ta hannun masu ba da gudummawa da Smithsonian ya ɗauka. Kyautar da ba a saba gani ba, wadda Business Insider ta fara bayar da rahoto a watan Agusta, ta kuma haifar da suka ga jama'a a kan gidan tarihi tare da jefa shakku kan asalin wani mai ba da gudummawa na biyu wanda ya ba da ƙarin kyautar dala 100,000 don tallafawa hotunan da Citizens for Responsible and Ethical Washington ta shirya. Jaridar Washington Post ta sake duba ta a ranar Litinin.
Mai magana da yawun Cibiyar Smithsonian, Linda St. Thomas, ta sake nanata a ranar Litinin cewa mai bayar da gudummawa na biyu "ɗan ƙasa ne wanda ke son a ɓoye sunansa." Ta kuma lura cewa ɗaya daga cikin hotunan ya riga ya shirya, ɗayan kuma "yana kan aiki."
Duk da haka, dokokin gidan tarihi sun bayyana cewa idan tsohon shugaban ƙasa ya sake tsayawa takarar shugaban ƙasa, ba za a iya bayyana hotonsa ba. Sakamakon haka, gidan tarihi ba zai bayyana sunayen mawakan biyu da aka gayyata ba har sai zaɓen shugaban ƙasa na 2024, in ji St. Thomas ga jaridar Post. Idan Trump ya lashe wannan zaɓe, za a nuna hotunan ne kawai bayan wa'adinsa na biyu, bisa ga dokokin gidan tarihi.
"Ba ma fitar da sunan mai zane kafin buɗewa, kodayake a wannan yanayin zai iya canzawa saboda lokaci mai tsawo ya shude," in ji St. Thomas. An nuna hoton Trump na shekarar 2019 wanda mujallar Pari Dukovic for Time ta ɗauka a baje kolin "Shugabannin Amurka" na National Portrait Gallery kafin a buɗe hoton a hukumance. A cewar Smithsonian Institution, nan ba da jimawa ba za a cire hoton saboda dalilan kiyayewa.
An ci gaba da tattaunawa tsakanin jami'an gidan tarihi da Trump kan hoton da kuma kudaden da za a kashe na tsawon watanni, tun daga farkon shekarar 2021, jim kadan bayan Trump ya bar mulki, kamar yadda imel suka nuna.
An bayyana tsarin a cikin wani sako daga Kim Saget, darektan National Portrait Gallery, zuwa ga Molly Michael, mataimakiyar shugabar Trump a ofishin gidan waya. Sadget ya lura cewa daga ƙarshe Trump zai amince ko ya ƙi zanen kafin a nuna shi. (Wani mai magana da yawun Smithsonian ya shaida wa jaridar The Post cewa daga baya ma'aikatan gidan kayan tarihi sun kira tawagar Trump don bayyana masa cewa ba zai sami amincewar ƙarshe ba.)
"Tabbas, idan Mista Trump yana da ra'ayoyi ga sauran masu fasaha, za mu yi maraba da waɗannan shawarwarin," Sadget ya rubuta wa Michael a cikin wani imel mai kwanan wata 18 ga Maris, 2021. "Manufarmu ita ce mu nemo mai fasaha wanda, a ra'ayin gidan tarihi da mai kula da shi, zai ƙirƙiri kyakkyawan hoto ga gidan tarihin Shugabannin Amurka na dindindin."
Bayan kimanin watanni biyu, Sadget ya kuma lura cewa Gidan Tarihi na Ƙasa yana tara kuɗaɗen sirri don duk hotunan shugaban ƙasa kuma ya nemi taimako don nemo "abokai da magoya bayan iyalan Trump waɗanda za su iya tallafawa waɗannan kwamitocin."
A ranar 28 ga Mayu, 2021, Saget ya rubuta wa Michael, "Domin kiyaye tazara mai mutunci tsakanin rayuwarsu ta sirri da gadonsu na jama'a, mun zaɓi kada mu kusanci dangin Trump ko kuma mu ba da gudummawa ga duk wani kasuwancin Trump."
Kimanin mako guda bayan haka, Michael ya shaida wa Sadget cewa tawagar Trump ta "sami masu ba da gudummawa da dama waɗanda, a matsayinsu na daidaikun mutane, wataƙila za su bayar da gudummawa gaba ɗaya."
"Zan saka sunaye da bayanan hulɗa a cikin 'yan kwanaki masu zuwa domin daidaita kawunanmu da kuma tantance fifikon shugaban ƙasa na ƙarshe," Michael ya rubuta.
Mako guda bayan haka, Michael ya sake aika wani jerin sunayen, amma an cire sunayen daga imel ɗin jama'a da jaridar The Post ta gani. Michael ya rubuta cewa "za ta sake samun wasu goma sha biyu idan ana buƙata".
Ba a san abin da ya faru dangane da tara kuɗi ba bayan haka kuma ya kai ga yanke shawarar karɓar kuɗi daga Trump PAC. Imel ɗin sun nuna cewa wasu daga cikin tattaunawar sun faru ne ta waya ko kuma a lokacin tarurrukan yanar gizo.
A watan Satumba na 2021, sun yi musayar imel game da "zaman farko" na hoton. Sannan, a ranar 17 ga Fabrairu, 2022, Saget ya sake aika wa Michael wani imel yana bayyana manufofin gidan kayan tarihi kan tarin kaya.
"Babu wani mutum mai rai da aka yarda ya biya don kamanninsa," in ji Sajet, yana ambaton manufar. "NPG na iya tuntuɓar dangin mai kula da gidan, abokai da waɗanda suka sani don biyan kuɗin aikin ɗaukar hoton, muddin NPG ce ke jagorantar tattaunawar kuma wanda aka gayyata bai yi tasiri ga zaɓin ko farashin mai zane ba."
A ranar 8 ga Maris, 2022, Saget ta tambayi Michael ko za ta iya raba bayanai ta waya daga waɗanda suka nuna sha'awar tallafawa aikin gidan kayan tarihi.
"Mun fara fuskantar kuɗaɗen da ake buƙatar a biya kuma muna neman ƙara kusantar tara kuɗi ta hanyar aikin," Sajet ya rubuta.
Bayan ya yi hira ta waya ta imel da dama, Michael ya rubuta wa Saget a ranar 25 ga Maris, 2022, yana mai cewa "mafi kyawun wanda zai iya ci gaba da tattaunawarmu" ita ce Susie Wiles, mai ba da shawara kan harkokin siyasa ta jam'iyyar Republican wacce daga baya aka nada ta a matsayin babbar mai ba Trump shawara a 2024 - yakin neman zabe.
A cikin wata wasika mai kwanan wata 11 ga Mayu, 2022, a kan takardar Smithsonian, jami'an gidan tarihi sun rubuta wa Ma'ajin Bankin CPC na Save America Bradley Clutter, suna masu godiya ga "alƙawarin ƙungiyar siyasa na kwanan nan na dala 650,000" don tallafawa Hukumar Zane-zane ta Trump.
"Domin girmama wannan tallafi mai karimci, Cibiyar Smithsonian za ta nuna kalmomin 'Save America' a kan lakabin abubuwan da aka nuna tare da hoton yayin baje kolin da kuma kusa da hoton hoton a gidan yanar gizon NPG," in ji gidan kayan tarihin.
Sun ƙara da cewa PAC Save America za ta kuma gayyaci baƙi 10 zuwa wurin gabatarwar, sannan kuma za a nuna hotunan baƙi har biyar.
A ranar 20 ga Yuli, 2022, Wiles ya aika wa Usha Subramanian, darektan ci gaba a National Portrait Gallery, kwafin yarjejeniyar da aka sanya wa hannu ta imel.
Kwamitin dala $750,000 na hotunan Trump guda biyu za a biya ta hanyar gudummawar Save America PAC da kuma kyautar dala $100,000 ta sirri daga wani mai ba da gudummawa mai zaman kansa da ba a bayyana sunansa ba, in ji gidan kayan tarihi a bara.
Ko da yake ba a saba gani ba, gudummawar da aka bayar halal ne domin Save America ita ce PAC mai mulki, tare da ƙarancin ƙuntatawa kan amfani da kuɗaɗen ta. Irin waɗannan PACs, ban da tallata 'yan takara masu ra'ayi iri ɗaya, ana iya amfani da su don biyan masu ba da shawara, rufe tafiye-tafiye da kuɗaɗen shari'a, da sauran kuɗaɗen da aka kashe. Yawancin kuɗaɗen tallafin Trump GAC sun fito ne daga ƙananan masu ba da gudummawa da ke amsa imel da sauran tambayoyi.
Wakilan Trump sun ƙi yin tsokaci. A ranar Talata, mai magana da yawun Smithsonian Institution Concetta Duncan ta shaida wa jaridar The Post cewa gidan tarihi ya raba kwamitin ayyukan siyasa na Trump da iyalinsa da kasuwancinsa.
"Saboda PAC tana wakiltar tarin masu tallafawa, Portrait Gallery tana farin cikin karɓar waɗannan kuɗaɗen domin ba ya shafar zaɓin masu fasaha ko ƙimar kayan aikin gama gari," ta rubuta a cikin imel.
Gidan tarihin ya fuskanci suka bayan da aka bai wa jama'a gudummawar a bara. A cikin wani imel da ya fitar a watan Agustan da ya gabata, mai tsara dabarun kafofin sada zumunta na Smithsonian ya tattara sakonnin Twitter daga masu amfani da suka fusata da sanarwar bayar da gudummawar.
"Tabbas mutane ba su fahimci cewa muna da hotunan dukkan shugabannin ƙasa ba," in ji Erin Blascoe, mai tsara dabarun kafofin sada zumunta. "Sun yi fushi da muka samu hoton Trump, amma akwai kuma mutane da yawa da suka yi fushi da cewa an ɗauke shi a matsayin 'bayar da gudummawa', musamman bayan sun soki hanyoyin tara kuɗi da suke bi."
Haka kuma an haɗa da kwafin wata wasiƙa da aka rubuta da hannu daga wani mai masaukin baki wanda ya ce shekarunsa iri ɗaya ne da tsohon shugaban ƙasar kuma ya nemi gidan tarihi da kada ya nuna hoton Trump.
"Don Allah, aƙalla har sai binciken DOJ da FBI ya ƙare," in ji mai kula da gidan yarin. "Ya yi amfani da Fadar White House mai daraja don aikata laifuka."
A lokacin, St. Thomas ta gaya wa abokan aikinta na gidan tarihi cewa ta ɗauki 'yan adawa a matsayin kawai "ƙofar ƙanƙara".
"Karanta labarin," ta rubuta a cikin imel. "Suna lissafa wasu abubuwan da PAC ke bayarwa. Muna nan.
Duk da cewa Majalisa ce ta ƙirƙiro National Portrait Gallery a shekarar 1962, ba ta naɗa shugabannin ƙasa masu barin gado ba har sai a shekarar 1994, lokacin da Ronald Sherr ya zana hoton George W. Bush.
A baya, ana samun kuɗaɗen ɗaukar hotunan ne ta hanyar gudummawar masu zaman kansu, galibi daga magoya bayan gwamnatin da ke barin mulki. Sama da masu ba da gudummawa 200, ciki har da Steven Spielberg, John Legend da Chrissy Teigen, sun ba da gudummawa ga kwamitin dala 750,000 na hotunan Obama wanda Kehinde Wiley da Amy Sherald suka bayar. Jerin masu ba da gudummawar hotunan Obama da Bush bai haɗa da PKK ba.