President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday mandating the placement of warning signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The document, titled "Restore Trust in the Smithsonian Institution," directs the Department of the Interior to issue notices to visitors about exhibitions that the administration deems inaccurate. Alongside the warnings, the Department is required to direct the public to places where they can find information that authorities consider accurate in the context of American history.
The Trump administration has frequently accused the Smithsonian, the world’s largest research museum, as well as other academic organisations, of fostering anti-American bias. The order explicitly states that museum leadership is not doing enough to celebrate the American founders, particularly ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary of independence, which is marked on 4 July. According to the text of the order, museum leadership treats American history as a primary tool for advancing ideas of social justice and radical social transformation.
A accompanying statement from the White House further accuses the museum of veering towards extreme political activism rooted in Marxism. It states that such activism aims to divide Americans, discourage them, and undermine national consensus. Trump and his allies claim the institution politicises its work by focusing on historical injustices rather than triumphant moments, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Democrats overseeing the Smithsonian have strongly condemned the issued order. They view it as a clear political overreach driven by an ideological goal of rewriting American history. The opposition believes that such measures attempt to impose a one-sided view of the past, rather than allowing the museum to engage in comprehensive research work.
