Trump orders signs attacking Smithsonian history museum

Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on the Smithsonian Institution, ordering the interior department to erect signs outside the National Museum of American History. The signs will accuse the museum of inaccuracy and politicization, urging visitors to seek alternative sources for American history information. This directive stems from Trump and his allies' criticism that the museum focuses too heavily on historical injustices rather than more triumphant aspects of American history.

The order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and other officials to create temporary signs for walkways leading to the museum. These signs will reportedly state that museum exhibits need renovation to align with findings from a White House report titled "Saving America's Story." The report accused the museum's leadership of "ideological capture" and using the American story as a political tool to divide citizens.

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Historians practice our craft with scholarly integrity according to established standards of evidence, historical inquiry, and professional practice. Political interference in professional museum work threatens the accuracy of historical interpretation and erodes public trust in one of our nation’s most important institutions.

Professional historians, however, have pushed back against these criticisms. The American Historical Association issued a statement affirming the Smithsonian's "commitment to scholarship and accuracy" and warned that political interference threatens historical interpretation and public trust. Museum Director Anthea Hartig defended the institution's approach in congressional hearings, stating that honoring the nation's founding ideals includes truthfully recounting times when the country fell short, which she described as a form of respect and a commitment to achieving a "more perfect union."

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We honor the declaration, the revolution, the constitution, our national symbols. And we tell the truth about the times that the country fell short of its own founding ideals. 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.