The Trump administration just delivered a 162-page takedown of the Smithsonian Institution — and ordered federal agencies to fix what it calls an “ideological capture” of America’s flagship history museum.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department, Office of Management and Budget, and National Park Service to use their authorities to push the Smithsonian toward sweeping reforms. The order comes hours after the White House Domestic Policy Council released a damning report titled “Saving America’s Story” accusing the National Museum of American History of prioritizing social justice activism over patriotic celebration of the nation’s founding.
The National Park Service will now install temporary signs outside the museum directing visitors to the White House report and describing the administration’s concerns.
“The Smithsonian has undergone ideological capture. Exhibits increasingly emphasize social justice activism and divisive narratives rather than focus on America’s founding principles and national achievements.”
The 16-month investigation reviewed eight Smithsonian museums, examined exhibits, interviewed curators, and conducted on-site walkthroughs. White House investigators documented what they argue are examples of the institution downplaying the Founders, discontinuing patriotic ceremonies, and replacing traditional American history with exhibits emphasizing decolonization, restorative history, and immigration activism.
The Smithsonian oversees 21 museums, the National Zoo, and nearly 157 million objects while receiving more than $1 billion annually in federal funding.
Trump launched the effort in March 2025 with an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The order argued that federal cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, have promoted divisive ideological narratives instead of patriotic ones.
Vice President JD Vance, serving in his role as a Smithsonian Regent, joined the White House Domestic Policy Council in reviewing exhibits and programs. The administration documented what it describes as a shift away from the institution’s original mission.
The White House says the museum held no special Independence Day programming in 2025 despite being open on July 4. It also discontinued traditional Flag Day ceremonies and planned 250th anniversary exhibits that the administration argues emphasize America’s flaws while giving insufficient attention to the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.
In August 2025, White House officials sent Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch a formal letter demanding exhibition plans, educational materials, internal policies, and other records. The letter set deadlines for document production, curator interviews, and on-site reviews, with museums instructed to begin revising public-facing content within 120 days.
“The Smithsonian has failed to provide most of the records requested during the review.”
By December, the White House told Bunch in a follow-up letter that the institution wasn’t cooperating. The administration gave the Smithsonian until Jan. 13, 2026, to produce the requested records and reminded the institution that federal funding must be used consistent with Trump’s executive order.
White House investigators completed on-site walkthroughs in early 2026. During the visits, they reviewed exhibits, educational materials, digital content, and internal planning documents while interviewing museum staff.
Investigators documented exhibits that they argue emphasized restorative history, decolonization, immigration activism, DEI initiatives, and social justice while downplaying the Founders, the nation’s achievements, and patriotic themes.
The administration also targeted the museum’s flagship America 250 exhibit, which debuted in May 2026 featuring 250 objects including Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk, George Washington’s uniform, and the Star-Spangled Banner.
The White House said the exhibit repackaged existing displays rather than creating a new founding-era installation. It criticized the museum for failing to meaningfully celebrate America’s Founders, the Declaration of Independence, or the American Revolution during the nation’s 250th birthday.
The report spent considerable focus on how the museum classified and portrayed illegal migration in its exhibits. The administration argues the institution presents immigration activism as patriotic while treating enforcement as divisive.
The Smithsonian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Trump administration says its effort is intended to restore a more patriotic presentation of American history at the taxpayer-funded institution. The campaign places the Smithsonian at the center of a broader debate over historical interpretation and the role of federally funded cultural institutions amid a growing divide over how America’s story should be told.
