President Trump issued an executive order on July 24 directing warning signs be placed outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to inform visitors of what he called "inaccurate information" presented in the museum.
The directive cited a 162-page White House report released on July 4 titled "Saving America's Story," which, the president wrote, shows Smithsonian leadership views "American history as a 'prime tool' to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society."
The report recommended signage that reads: "Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don't want you to love your country."
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," and wrote that the signs should inform visitors about the report's findings and guide them to other locations and resources "for accurate information regarding America's history."
The order named 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 and said they shall "use all available authorities" to promote the order's policies.
The order, titled Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution, accused museum leadership of not doing enough to celebrate America's founders on the country's 250th anniversary of independence, which took place on July 4, and directed the Department of the Interior to issue the warnings and to direct people about where they can find "accurate information regarding America's history."
The White House Domestic Policy Council's 162-page report said the National Museum of American History was "an instrument" for a "radical, activist cohort" that sought to reframe "the American story to serve its ideological ends."
The executive order said temporary signs or exhibits would be installed under the July 24 directive and that those signs should notify visitors the museum’s exhibits "should be renovated consistent with findings" in the White House report.
Days earlier, at a July 21 hearing, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said the museum had "become infected by a woke ideology," and Republican lawmakers had strongly criticized National Museum Director Anthea Hartig in congressional hearings.
Hartig, who has led the museum since 2019, told lawmakers the White House report didn’t "fairly or accurately" characterize the museum’s work and said the museum is adding evidence and voices so more Americans can see themselves reflected in the national story. She said, "We tell the truth about the times that the country fell short of its own founding ideals," and added, "Telling our story fully is a form of respect for the American people, and a commitment to constantly being in pursuit of a more perfect union."
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch defended the institution in an email 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." He wrote, "At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story," adding the institution remains "focused on what grounds us: a steadfast commitment to scholarship, nonpartisanship, independence, accuracy, and integrity."
On July 25, it was unclear whether warning signs had been placed outside the museum in compliance with Trump’s order; the National Park Service and the Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The museum, which is open daily except on Christmas Day, is free to the public, and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Democrats who oversee the Smithsonian condemned the order. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, said on X, "This EO is a clear political overreach, driven by an ideological agenda to rewrite American history," adding, "Our Smithsonian institutions do not belong to the President, but to the American people and so does our nation's history."
An accompanying White House statement accused the museum of veering "toward extreme political activism, rooted in Marxism, to divide, dispirit, and discourage Americans."
Earlier this month, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a scathing report claiming the museum "erases our heritage," and Trump has signed several orders intended to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the federal government, some of which led to legal challenges.
The Smithsonian is largely funded by the federal government. Its museums offer free entry to some 15 to 30 million visitors each year. It operates 21 museums in Washington, Virginia and New York, including the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery, the American Art Museum and the National Zoo.