Overview
- Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 27, 2025, accusing Smithsonian museums of promoting 'ideological indoctrination' and 'historical revisionism.'
- Vice President JD Vance has been assigned to oversee museum content, aiming to remove 'inappropriate ideology' and restrict federal funding for exhibits that 'dishonor shared American values.'
- The directive mandates a review of federal monuments removed since 2020, with the possibility of restoring those deemed removed under 'erroneous historical reconstruction.'
- The Smithsonian Institution, which operates 19 museums and receives two-thirds of its funding from federal sources, is at the center of this initiative.
- The order is part of Trump's broader campaign against 'woke' ideologies, reflecting debates over historical narratives and cultural representation sparked by the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.