“This EO is a clear political overreach, driven by an ideological agenda to rewrite American history.
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Trump Orders "Warning Signs" Outside the Smithsonian's American History Museum
July 25, 2026
On July 24-25, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order, "Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution," directing the National Park Service to install temporary signage on public sidewalks outside the National Museum of American History warning visitors about what the order calls the "ideological capture" of the museum. The order cites a Domestic Policy Council report asserting that Smithsonian leadership "does not present American history as a shared national inheritance to be taught and celebrated, but instead views American history as a 'prime tool' to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society." Museum director Anthea Hartig and Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch rejected the report's characterization at a July 21 congressional hearing. House Administration Committee Democrats, led by ranking member Joseph Morelle (D-NY), issued a 16-page counter-report titled "The White House Campaign to Seize Control of the Smithsonian and Rewrite American History." Republicans on the panel backed the order, with Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) calling for Hartig to be fired.
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“Clean house.
“Welcome to the Republicans' white pride rally disguised as a congressional hearing.
“Attacks on the Smithsonian or any other institution that's willing to tell the true history of America is not only an attempt to rewrite history; it's an attempt to erase history.
“A political witch hunt.
“Our work is governed by the Smithsonian standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence, and nonpartisanship. The museum does not take sides in America's political debates.