Along with almost every other national institution, the president says the Smithsonian has become woke over the last decade.
"The American Art Museum, it currently features an exhibit that addresses how sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism," AFR podcaster Sandy Rios gives as an example.
She says at almost every turn, the arts and sciences are infused with narratives of supposed racial and sexual oppression. But that is about to change.
On March 27, the president signed an executive order that aims to "restore truth and sanity to American history" by removing what he calls "improper ideology" from the Smithsonian's research centers, 21 museums, and the National Zoo.
The order specifically calls out the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the American Women's History Museum for featuring exhibits aimed at "ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history."
"He's got JD Vance in charge of this, and … Doug Burgum, secretary of the Interior, has been instructed to reinstate all of the monuments that have been knocked down and removed," Rios relays.
That includes the monuments to Confederate leaders that were torn down amid the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Sec. Doug Burgum has been directed to "determine whether, since January 1, 2020, public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior's jurisdiction have been removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology."
"Whatever is real history needs to go back," says Rios.
Burgum is also expected to "reinstate" such monuments and memorials and ensure properties with his department's purview "do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times), and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people."
In a message to Smithsonian staff following the order – what the Left has dubbed a "Trump rewrite of U.S. history" – the Smithsonian Institution's Lonnie Bunch said, "We remain steadfast in our mission to bring history, science, education, research, and the arts to all Americans."
The Smithsonian will "remain committed to telling the multi-faceted stories of this country's extraordinary heritage," said Bunch.
The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. In 2024, it saw a total of 16.8 million visits, though numbers remain below pre-pandemic figures.
About 60% of its funding comes from the federal government.
