UPDATED: National Archives exhibit blurs images critical of Trump

The original photo, taken by Getty Images photographer Mario Tama, showed signs that said, “God Hates Trump,” and “Trump & GOP — Hands Off Women.” In the new version of the photograph, the word “Trump” is blurred out.

Signs that referenced female anatomy were also altered.

“As a non-partisan, non-political federal agency, we blurred references to the President’s name on some posters, so as not to engage in current political controversy,” National Archives spokeswoman Miriam Kleiman told the Washington Post. “Our mission is to safeguard and provide access to the nation’s most important federal records, and our exhibits are one way in which we connect the American people to those records. Modifying the image was an attempt on our part to keep the focus on the records.”

National Archives staff did not provide examples of other instances in which photographs or documents were changed to limit political controversy.

The decision to blur the references to women’s genitals was made because many students and young people visit the museum, Kleiman said.

She added that the museum does not alter images or documents that are displayed as artifacts.

“In this case, the image is part of a promotional display, not an artifact,” she said.

The altered photograph is at the entrance of an exhibit titled, “Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote.” The exhibit celebrates the centennial of women’s suffrage.

UPDATE: The National Archives apologized Saturday for the alteration and said it would replace the image with the unaltered version.

“We have removed the current display and will replace it as soon as possible with one that uses the unaltered image. We apologize, and will immediately start a thorough review of our exhibit policies and procedures so that this does not happen again,” the museum said on Twitter.