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The order titled Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution instructs officials to place the signage along National Park Service-maintained sidewalks leading to the museum while also calling for temporary exhibits or additional signs that correct perceived inaccuracies and honor the nation’s founders during the 250th anniversary period. A accompanying White House fact sheet described the Smithsonian as having veered toward extreme political activism rooted in Marxism that divides and discourages Americans. The directive builds directly on a Domestic Policy Council review that accused museum leadership of failing to steward more than 1 billion dollars in annual taxpayer funds appropriately.
The White House released a 162-page report on July 4 that detailed what it characterized as the museum’s ideological capture and erasure of American heritage through a concerted effort over the past decade to rewrite history with factually baseless narratives. According to CBS News the report had recommended entrance signs stating warning the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country although the final executive order adopted somewhat less pointed language. NBC News reported that the order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to coordinate with the National Park Service on implementation of the temporary measures.
Smithsonian Institution figures show the organization receives an annual federal appropriation exceeding 1 billion dollars which accounts for approximately 62 percent of its total budget with the remainder drawn from private contributions and other sources. The institution attracts up to 30 million visits annually across its 21 museums the National Zoo and related facilities with the National Museum of American History consistently ranking among the most visited sites. A report from the institution confirms that nearly all entry to its Washington facilities remains free to the public.
Smithsonian director Anthea Hartig faced questioning from Republican lawmakers in a House hearing days before the order where she defended the museum’s approach. Speaking during the session Hartig said I believe what you shall find is not an institution that has forgotten its country but one that loves it enough to tell the full sweep of our history. Politico reported that Hartig invited the committee members to tour the exhibits themselves to assess the programming.
Democratic members of Congress criticized the executive action as an ideological intervention into public institutions that hold the nation’s shared history. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury called it a clear political overreach driven by an ideological agenda to rewrite American history adding that our Smithsonian institutions do not belong to the President but to the American people and so does our nation’s history. A Reuters dispatch noted that civil rights advocates have raised concerns about the precedent set by placing government warnings on museum content.
The latest step continues a series of Trump administration actions on cultural institutions including an executive order signed in March 2025 that targeted what it termed divisive race-centered ideology at federal historical sites and museums. That earlier order according to the White House directed reviews of exhibits and materials to ensure alignment with policies emphasizing national achievements and unity. The Smithsonian has so far declined to comment publicly on the new requirements for signage.
