President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Friday directing the Department of Interior to place cautionary signs at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The signage is intended to alert visitors to exhibits the administration views as containing inaccurate historical information and to guide them toward alternative sources the administration deems more reliable.
The order, titled “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution,” criticizes museum leadership for insufficient celebration of America’s founders during the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence. According to the directive, museum leadership allegedly views American history as a tool for advancing social justice initiatives and societal transformation. An accompanying White House statement characterized the museum as engaging in extreme political activism rooted in Marxist ideology designed to divide and discourage Americans.
Democratic lawmakers expressed strong opposition to the order. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, characterized it as a political overreach driven by an ideological agenda to rewrite history. She emphasized that Smithsonian institutions belong to the American people rather than to the president.
The order represents the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape American cultural institutions. Earlier this month, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a report alleging the museum erases American heritage. In March, Trump issued a separate executive order against the Smithsonian directing it to eliminate what the administration describes as improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology. The Smithsonian operates 21 museums across Washington, Virginia, and New York, drawing between 15 to 30 million visitors annually and receiving substantial federal funding.
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