President Donald Trump has enacted an executive order aimed at the Smithsonian Institution, which oversees over 20 museums and research centers that attract millions of visitors annually in Washington DC and New York City.
The order instructs the vice president to “eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the institute’s museums, centers, and the National Zoo located in Washington.
Additionally, it directs the interior secretary to restore federal properties, including parks, memorials, and statues that “have been improperly removed or altered in the past five years to promote a false narrative of history”.
This initiative is part of Trump’s broader strategy to influence American culture, alongside his political endeavors.
Titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”, the order designates Vice-President JD Vance, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents by virtue of his governmental role, to spearhead this initiative.
According to Trump’s order, Congress should not allocate funds to Smithsonian exhibits and programs that “divide Americans by race”. It claims that the planned American Women’s History Museum intends to “recognize men as women”.
The order specifically criticizes the National Museum of African American History and Culture, asserting that the museum “has stated that ‘hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and ‘the nuclear family’ are elements of ‘White culture’.” This museum opened in 2016 as former President Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States, was departing office.
The Smithsonian museums provide free access to an estimated 15 to 30 million visitors each year, managing 21 museums across Washington, Virginia, and New York.
Included among these venues are the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery, the American Art Museum, the National Zoo, and more than a dozen others.
The order also directs Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to finalize “restorations and improvements” to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, coinciding with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence within this historic site.
Trump’s objective is to fundamentally transform American culture, which he asserts has been tainted by “woke” leftist ideologies. He has issued several orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the federal government, some of which have sparked legal disputes.
Soon after taking office, Trump dismissed the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC and assumed the role of chairman.
This action resulted in significant backlash from performers and directors, leading many to cancel their upcoming shows.
