Overview

• In March, President Trump signed an executive order to eliminate “improper, divisive, or anti-American” ideology from Smithsonian museums, followed in August by a phased review letter with short deadlines for multiple museums.
• The Smithsonian says it is reviewing the directive, its leadership has defended curatorial control, and the institution restored references to Trump’s two impeachments after briefly removing them.
• Historians and civil-rights advocates warn of political interference and potential whitewashing, with the American Historical Association and Annette Gordon-Reed among the prominent critics.
• House Democrats have pressed for inspector general oversight of the review process and raised governance concerns about White House pressure on the institution.
• Parallel moves include an Education Department partnership with PragerU—approved for use in at least 10 states and incorporated into an Oklahoma teacher assessment—and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to reinstall select Confederate memorials.