Trump orders Smithsonian to post warnings about 'inaccurate' US history

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order mandating warning signs outside exhibits at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. These signs will caution visitors about displays his administration considers "inaccurate" and will direct them to sources for "accurate information regarding America's history."

The Trump administration has frequently accused the Smithsonian Institution and other academic bodies of harboring an anti-American bias. The executive order, titled "Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution," criticizes the museum's leadership for not sufficiently celebrating America's founders ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary. A White House statement further accused the museum of leaning towards "extreme political activism, rooted in Marxism, to divide, dispirit, and discourage Americans."

This directive follows recent congressional hearings where Smithsonian director Anthea Hartig faced accusations from Republican lawmakers of the museum being "infected by a woke ideology." Earlier in the month, a White House Domestic Policy Council report claimed the museum "erases our heritage." Trump's broader agenda includes reshaping American culture, which he contends has been contaminated by "woke" left-wing ideology, leading to several executive orders aimed at eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the federal government.

The Smithsonian, largely federally funded, operates 21 museums across Washington, Virginia, and New York, attracting millions of visitors annually. The specific sources the White House deems more qualified to present American history remain unspecified in the order. The Smithsonian Institution did not immediately respond to requests for comment.