Trump order targets 'divisive narratives' in Smithsonian museums
President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order seeking to exert more control over what is displayed at Smithsonian museums and federal sites, citing what the White House called “divisive narratives” promoted by certain museums.
The executive order claimed that the Smithsonian Institution, which operates numerous museums in the nation’s capital, “has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.”
“This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive,” the order states.
The order cites an exhibit at the American Art Museum titled “Stories of Race and American Sculpture” and references at the National Museum of African American History and Culture that assert “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are parts of “white culture”;
“Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history,” the order states.
The order directs Vice President Vance to lead efforts to eliminate content from Smithsonian museums that do not align with the administration’s vision to “remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage.”
It also directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine whether any public monuments, memorials or statues were removed during the Biden administration that “perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history.”
The executive order is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to roll back Biden-era initiatives that were deemed “woke” or that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion.
Democrats, in particular, sought to reexamine monuments to Confederate leaders in the aftermath of the 2020 racial injustice protests spurred by the killing of George Floyd. Trump has repeatedly argued that vandalizing statues should come with severe penalties.
During the Biden administration, Fort Bragg in North Carolina was renamed to Fort Liberty, a move that has since been undone by the Trump administration. Fort Bragg was named after a Confederate general.
Biden, during the 2020 campaign, argued the federal government should protect statues of historical figures but that local governments should remove monuments to Confederate leaders.