Jillian Michaels Sparks Backlash on CNN Over Claims Smithsonian Teaches “Just One Race” Responsible for U.S. Slavery

Jillian Michaels, best known as a fitness trainer from The Biggest Loser, is facing criticism following her appearance on CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip, where she asserted that the Smithsonian’s approach to teaching about U.S. slavery unfairly implicates “just one race” as responsible. Her comments came in the context of defending former President Donald Trump’s administration, which recently ordered a review of Smithsonian exhibits to ensure they promote what the administration calls “accurate, patriotic, and enlightening” narratives.

During the panel discussion, Michaels stated, “He’s not whitewashing slavery,” referring to Trump’s push to review federal cultural institutions. “And you cannot tie imperialism and racism and slavery to just one race, which is pretty much what every single exhibit does.” She further minimized the impact of slavery by pointing out that “less than 2 percent of white Americans owned slaves,” and claimed that “Americans were the first race to try to end slavery”.

Host Abby Phillip responded sharply, saying, “I’m surprised that you’re trying to litigate who was the beneficiary of slavery and who was not. In the context of American history, what are you saying is incorrect by saying that it was white people oppressing Black people?”.

The exchange quickly went viral, with video clips circulating widely and drawing condemnation from historians, activists, and the broader public across social media platforms. Many criticized CNN’s decision to feature Michaels on a panel about historical accuracy and race, given her lack of expertise in these areas.

Notably, LGBTQ+ advocates pointed out that erasing or distorting the realities of American history has direct implications for all marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ people of color, whose experiences of oppression are intertwined with the legacies of racism and slavery in the United States. “Attempts to sanitize history undermine the progress that queer and trans people of color have fought so hard to achieve,” said an LGBTQ+ historian in response to the controversy.

The controversy comes amid the Trump administration’s executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which calls for the removal of “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology” from federal museums. Critics, including several academic and civil rights organizations, argue that this initiative risks whitewashing hard truths about slavery, racism, and the fight for equality in the United States.

For LGBTQ+ communities, the integrity of historical education is particularly significant. Many queer and trans people—especially those who are Black or belong to other communities of color—draw on the lessons of history to understand systemic oppression and to build solidarity across movements. “If we distort the facts of who benefited from and who suffered under slavery, we make it harder for everyone fighting for equity today,” said a spokesperson for a national LGBTQ+ coalition.

As calls grow for accountability from both CNN and Michaels, historians emphasize that teaching the realities of U.S. slavery is not about assigning blame, but about recognizing the historical facts. The transatlantic slave trade and the institution of chattel slavery in the U.S. were fundamentally racialized systems that targeted Black people and benefited white Americans as a group, regardless of individual ownership rates.

LGBTQ+ advocates are now urging media organizations to prioritize voices and expertise from communities directly impacted by these histories, and to approach conversations about race and justice with the nuance and accuracy they deserve.