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The executive order titled Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution accuses museum leadership of failing to properly celebrate the nation’s founders during the 250th anniversary of independence marked on July 4, according to a White House statement. It further claims that the institution views American history as a tool to advance social justice and radical societal transformation. The accompanying White House fact sheet described the museum’s approach as extreme political activism rooted in Marxism designed to divide and discourage citizens, the statement added. Democrats overseeing the institution condemned the directive as political overreach. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, wrote on X that Smithsonian institutions belong to the American people rather than any president.
The July 25 order follows a 162-page report released by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4 that branded the National Museum of American History as erasing the nation’s heritage, a PBS NewsHour report indicated. That document came days after Republican lawmakers questioned Smithsonian director Anthea Hartig during congressional hearings over what they termed woke ideology in public displays and educational materials. Hartig pushed back in testimony by stating that the report did not fairly characterize the museum’s full body of work. The actions build on an earlier executive order issued March 27, 2025, titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, which directed Vice President JD Vance to remove improper ideology from the institution, according to the New York Times.
Historians have mounted a defense of the Smithsonian against the administration’s criticisms. The American Historical Association stated in a July 9 release that the executive orders and report egregiously misrepresent the museum’s scholarship, which relies on historical and scientific evidence. The association reiterated its support for an independent Smithsonian free from any presidential administration’s ideological priorities. A Time magazine analysis published July 8 described the Domestic Policy Council report as part of a broader effort that threatens to reduce American history to conservative ideology while including multiple false claims about the museum’s exhibits. ABC News reported on July 6 that the White House accused the institution of presenting a radical view of American history through its programming.
The Smithsonian Institution operates 21 museums and research centers including the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Zoo across Washington, Virginia and New York, Smithsonian Institution factsheets show. Those facilities draw nearly 30 million visitors annually with the vast majority admitted free of charge, according to the institution’s data. Its annual budget reaches approximately 1.25 billion dollars with about 62 percent provided through federal appropriations, the factsheets stated. A study by Americans for the Arts placed the economic impact of Smithsonian visitor spending on the Washington metropolitan area at 6.7 billion dollars, the majority from out-of-town tourists.
Trump has pursued a series of measures since early 2025 aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs from federal institutions while reshaping cultural narratives he views as contaminated by left-wing ideology, a Reuters review of administration actions found. The March 2025 order specifically targeted the Smithsonian for what it called anti-American content, directing an internal review of exhibitions and materials. Smithsonian officials have not publicly responded to the latest directive or the preceding report, multiple outlets including the BBC and PBS reported. Past controversies at the institution include disputes over the 1995 Enola Gay exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum and the relocation of a 2003 natural history display on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to institutional records.
The latest developments coincide with the 250th anniversary commemorations that the White House report argued should have featured more uplifting portrayals of the founding era and the nation’s progress. The American Historical Association countered that such demands seek to replace evidence-based history with a celebratory narrative that limits whose experiences count in the national story. Congressional funding oversight gives the administration leverage since federal appropriations form the bulk of the Smithsonian’s support, a Congressional Research Service overview noted. Critics in Congress and among scholars have warned that the orders could undermine public trust in the institution’s role as a steward of national heritage.
