President Donald Trump has ordered the placement of warning signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to caution visitors about exhibits his administration considers "inaccurate." The directive also instructs the Department of the Interior to guide visitors toward what the administration deems "accurate information regarding America's history."
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest research museum, and other academic organizations of holding an anti-American bias. The order, titled "Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution," states that the museum's leadership team "views American history as a 'prime tool' to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society."
A White House statement accompanying the order accused the museum of veering "toward extreme political activism, rooted in Marxism, to divide, dispirit, and discourage Americans." The order does not specify which sources the White House considers more qualified to present American history.
The directive follows congressional hearings where Republican lawmakers accused the Smithsonian of being "infected by a woke ideology." Earlier in the month, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a report claiming the museum "erases our heritage."
This move is part of a broader effort by President Trump to reshape American culture, which he has described as contaminated by left-wing ideology. He has previously signed executive orders aimed at eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from federal agencies, some of which have faced legal challenges.
In March, a separate order was issued to the Smithsonian directing it to "eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology."
The Smithsonian Institution, largely funded by the federal government, attracts 15 to 30 million visitors annually across its 21 museums in Washington, Virginia, and New York. These institutions include the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery, the American Art Museum, and the National Zoo, among others.