At his core, Donald Trump is at war with truth and reality. It makes sense, then, that he’s been so vehemently going after artistic institutions, museums, and universities. (It’s also why he loves playing with AI, but that’s a subject for another post…) One such pillar of American history, culture, study, thought, and on and on, that Trump has especially fixed his orange laser beam on is the Smithsonian. After two months back in office last year, Trump signed the inanely-named “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” executive order. It quickly became clear that the untruth and insanity Trump wanted to oust, was factually correct material on slavery and the only US president ever to be impeached twice. Trump became so unhinged about the Smithsonian in particular, that nearly one year ago he announced a bigly review his administration was doing of the entire institution.
A report based on that review was released on July 4, and it had the nerve to say the Smithsonian “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.” The museum hasn’t responded to Trump’s liking (i.e., with immediate kowtowing), so on Friday Trump called for new action. Since the National Park Service has jurisdiction over the sidewalks and walkways used to access the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Trump has directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum — you know, the guy doing such a bang-up job on the Reflecting Pool — to set up WARNING signs outside the museum alerting the public of the “inaccurate information” inside. Jefferson wept.
Trump said in March 2025 that he intended to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution, signing an executive order that sought to target federal funding for programs that present “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”
In his order Friday, Trump wrote that the “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.”
He wrote that the leadership of both the institution and of the museum “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story with honesty and gratitude.”
Trump directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to work alongside the National Park Service to install “temporary signage along the NPS-maintained sidewalks and walkways used by the public to access the Museum.”
The signage will “inform visitors” of the July 4 report and Trump’s demand that the report findings be enforced in accordance with his March 2025 executive order, Trump wrote.
Trump said that the signage will correct “inaccurate information presented in the Museum” and direct visitors to “locations and resources for accurate information regarding America’s history.”
The president directed that Burgum, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and the administrator of the General Services Administration alongside the assistant to the president for domestic policy shall “use all available authorities” to promote the order’s policies.
The Smithsonian declined to comment Friday.
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch defended the institution’s work in an email to NBC News earlier this month, writing that the White House’s report “is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.”
“At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story,” Bunch wrote.
He added that the institution remains “focused on what grounds us: a steadfast commitment to scholarship, nonpartisanship, independence, accuracy, and integrity.”
Is this surprising, from President Dumb & Trumper? Not in the least. Is it still soul-crushing and blood pressure-raising? For sure. But since I’m an optimist (What? Stop laughing!), I’m going to curb my incredulity and instead welcome this development as the opportunity it is. Trump didn’t put up asinine posters outside the Smithsonian that allege the content within is all hogwash; Trump just set up a bevy of free, blank canvasses for digital projection artists to express their best, most vivid political commentary! Wait, what am I saying? That’s too limiting — artists of ALL kinds are welcome to contribute! I’m envisioning a multi-media installation representing Trump’s stupid passports and $1 coins. Fight lies with truth, dunce with intelligence, propaganda with art.
Photos credit: Molly Riley/Avalon, Lisa Marie Gonzalez and Eugenio Felix on Pexels
I really can’t wait to see the “resources for accurate information regarding America’s history”. /s
Double-plus-ungood as Orwell might have said. I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by biased and slanted views of America’s so-called illustrious history. Fortunately I had teachers who did their best to correct for that. As someone more positive than I feel right now has said: They can take away the books — but not our stories.
I’m alternating between feeling sick about this, recognizing it as a very familiar same-old-same-old, and feeling optimistic that the greater wider world will continue to grow in scholarship and truth — even as the white nationalist forces of the current administration pollute our greatest institutions with the bigotry of their own limited and fragile minds.
Thank you for that, Blithe, I was just in free fall despair reading that report. They are determined to erase Black history in this country. I think the resistance installations is a wonderful idea.
I work in the history field, many years working in museums including 6 years in D.C., and I actually had a nightmare about this the other night. Now history is “fake news.” God, I wish this orange blob of evil would just make his grand exit. Although, after “Ugly F-ck” Stephen Miller’s N*zi speech about how American children will only know the glory of the republic or whatever, I suspect it’s him behind this.
Speaking of that Ugly F-ck, there are currently posters appearing around D.C. with the best internet memes about him.
I agree, which I’m sure he’s on board with the general principles, everything else speaks of someone like Miller with a much clearer mind and agenda.
You all better protect Capitol Hill esp from suspicious fires – Miller is pretty much cosplaying Hitler and what they did to seize power.
“Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” And that is why we have museums like the Smithsonian and the African American museum in the first place.
And the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.
I’m concerned about the fate of a few more museums and collections too. It may be that these degenerates can’t attack them with their signage if the buildings and collections are not next to NPS-maintained federal land.
#LockHimUpAlready