Trump's Executive Order Targets Smithsonian, Fuels National Outcry

Historians and civil rights leaders denounce the order as an effort to whitewash U.S. history and undermine marginalized voices.

President Trump’s executive order, 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' accuses the Smithsonian Institution of promoting 'divisive, race-centered ideology.'
The National Museum of African American History and Culture Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum are specifically targeted in the order.
Vice President J.D. Vance is tasked with overseeing museum content and restricting funding for programs deemed to promote 'improper ideology.'
Critics argue the order is part of a broader strategy to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives while erasing marginalized voices from historical narratives.
Historians, civil rights advocates, and Black leaders warn of the potential erasure of critical historical perspectives and compare the move to authoritarian attempts to rewrite history.