Trump issues executive order for warning signs at National Museum of American History
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President Trump directed the Interior Department to place temporary signs outside the National Museum of American History warning visitors of alleged ideological bias, prompting a response from museum officials who defended the institution's scholarly standards.
President Donald Trump issued an executive action directing the Department of the Interior to install temporary signage on National Park Service sidewalks surrounding the National Museum of American History. The signs are intended to alert visitors to what the White House calls an "ideological capture" of the museum and to point them to resources offering what the administration describes as accurate information about U.S. history.
The order follows a July 4 report from the White House Domestic Policy Council that accused the museum’s leadership of presenting a "radical view of American history" and listed numerous exhibits as examples of "radical activism." The executive order states that the signage should "notify visitors that the Museum exhibits should be renovated consistent with the findings in the Report and direct visitors to locations and resources for accurate information regarding America's history."
A Smithsonian spokesperson declined to comment when asked about the order. Museum Director Anthea Hartig, testifying before a House subcommittee, said the institution does not take sides in political debates and that its work is guided by standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence and nonpartisanship. > "Our work is governed by the Smithsonian standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence, and nonpartisanship," she said.
Hartig added that while the Smithsonian takes the concerns raised in the White House report seriously, she believes the report does not fairly represent the museum’s work. > "The report does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum," she said.
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, in an internal letter to staff, echoed the sentiment, stating that the report is not a fair characterization of the museum’s efforts and reaffirming the institution’s commitment to telling the full story of America.
The White House report stems from a review launched after Trump’s March 27, 2025 executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which called for the removal of what the administration described as improper ideology from Smithsonian institutions.
The Smithsonian, which receives about 62% of its funding from federal sources, is overseen by a 17-member Board of Regents. Secretary Bunch has repeatedly emphasized the museum’s independence from political influence in communications with staff.
Requests for comment from the Interior Department and the National Park Service on the timeline for installing the signage were not returned.