A Smithsonian sign is displayed in front of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on July 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Signs will soon appear outside the Smithsonian Institution’s U.S. history museum telling people not to believe everything that they see in the world-famous museum. Instead, the signs will direct them to locations and websites the Trump administration approves of.
What we know:
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing that signs that warn of ideological capture at the National Museum of American History be installed on sidewalks and walkways that lead to the museum and are maintained by the National Park Service. In a supplemental to the order, the White House accused the Smithsonian and museum leadership of "extreme political activism, rooted in Marxism, to divide, dispirit, and discourage Americans."
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What we don't know:
The order does not spell out the wording that will be used on the signs, only saying that they should direct patrons to its list of resources and the findings of the administration’s recently released report on the museum. It also does not detail what locations and resources will be promoted.
What they're saying:
"Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology," Trump’s order declared. "This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive."
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The backstory:
On the Fourth of July, the White House released a report drafted by its Domestic Policy Council that determined the National Museum of American History does not tell history "in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic."
The White House argued the report shows Smithsonian leadership "cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly" and is not properly using the $1 billion it is given annually by the federal government.
The other side:
During congressional hearings this week, American history museum director Anthea Hartig pushed back on the report, noting that the museum was still fact-checking it and arguing that the report "does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum."
"There is always room for improvement," she continued. "But I also know the beauty and inspiration and the expertise that lies in our collections, our exhibits, and our programming."
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the White House, The Associated Press, and previous coverage. This story was reported from Orlando.