On Thursday night, President Trump signed a new executive order by which he intends to remove “divisive” content from Smithsonian Institution museums while restoring “monuments, memorials, statues” that have been removed over the past five years.
The measure, called Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, in particular, will allow Vice President JD Vance to remove what he deems ”improper” from the organization’s buildings, including its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo. The White House fact sheet states the order will focus on removing “anti-American ideology.”
The Smithsonian is a cultural and scientific institution founded in 1846, and has always worked autonomously-the institution is considered the guardian of American history. “Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth,” Trump’s executive order reads, “This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.”
The measure cites examples of exhibits that MAGA leaders say portray American and Western values as “inherently harmful and oppressive.” It also prohibits any transgender women from being included in the future American Women’s History Museum, which currently exists as an online exhibit and could take more than 10 years to build.
The order also targets the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016, claiming that the museum “proclaimed that hard work, individualism, and the nuclear family are aspects of white culture.”
Vance will now be tasked with implementing the policies set forth in the ordinance and will work with Congress and the Office of Management and Budget to withhold funding for exhibits that, in his view, degrade American values and divide Americans along racial lines. Federal funds make up 62 percent of the Smithsonian’s annual budget, which at the same time receives about $300 million a year from private individuals.
The executive order signed by Trump sparked several controversies. In particular, Adam Rothman, professor of American history at Georgetown University told the Washington Post: “The president’s proclamation disrespects the thousands of sincere and dedicated researchers, curators, scientists, guides, interpreters, docents and countless other people who work hard every day to preserve and tell the nation’s story truthfully”.
