WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing the installation of temporary signage outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The signage is intended to inform visitors of a White House report released on July 4 and to direct them to resources for what the administration describes as "accurate information regarding America's history."

The executive order directs the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to install the signage along National Park Service-maintained sidewalks and walkways leading to the museum. Trump stated in the order that Smithsonian leadership views American history as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage citizens.

The executive order states that the signage shall notify visitors that the Museum exhibits should be renovated consistent with the findings in the White House report. The order requires the production of signage criticizing the Smithsonian for insufficiently commemorating the Declaration of Independence during the 250th anniversary of its adoption. It also directs the creation of a temporary exhibit intended to correct information the administration considers inaccurate.

President Trump directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the Administrator of General Services, and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to use all available authorities to promote the order's policies. The White House stated in a fact sheet that "President Trump is fighting back to restore one of the Nation’s greatest civic treasures to its founding mission and purpose and reestablish truth in the Nation’s historical narrative."

The action follows the release of a 162-page report titled "Saving America's Story" by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4. The report accused the Smithsonian leadership of viewing American history as a "prime tool" to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of society. It claimed the museum's leadership cannot be trusted to tell America's story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of the republic.

The report also accused the Smithsonian of advancing radical left-wing ideologies and extreme political activism seeking to transform the country. Additionally, the report recommended that the museum post signage above every entrance reading: Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don't want you to love your country.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch stated in an email that the White House report "is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History." He added that the institution's work is driven by "scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story." The American Historical Association issued a statement praising the Smithsonian Institution’s "commitment to scholarship and accuracy." Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, stated on X that the executive order is "a clear political overreach, driven by an ideological agenda to rewrite American history." She stated that "[o]ur Smithsonian institutions do not belong to the President, but to the American people and so does our nation's history." Local history teachers Dwayne Williams and Mark Ehlers protested outside the Smithsonian Museum of American History with signs reading Our history doesn't need a government warning label. And Black lives and Black history matters. As of Monday, no signs had been placed outside the museum.

The Smithsonian operates independently of the executive branch and is overseen by a Board of Regents that includes the Vice President, the Chief Justice, members of Congress, and citizen regents. Vice President JD Vance sits on the Smithsonian Board of Regents. The institution receives approximately two-thirds of its $1 billion annual budget through federal appropriations.

This financial connection exists alongside its operational independence, creating a complex relationship with the executive branch. The executive order represents a direct intervention by the President into the informational context provided to visitors of a federally supported but independently managed cultural institution.

This directive follows a previous action in March 2025, when President Trump signed an executive order targeting federal funding for programs presenting "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology." The current order expands this approach by mandating specific physical signage and exhibit changes at a major national museum. The Smithsonian operates 21 museums in Washington, Virginia, and New York, offering free entry to approximately 15 to 30 million visitors annually. The signage directive specifically targets the National Museum of American History, one of the most visited sites in the complex.

The implementation of the order raises questions about how federal agencies will coordinate with an independent board-led institution. The 162-page report that prompted the order identifies broad ideological concerns rather than specific factual errors, leaving the precise scope of the required renovations undefined. The temporary nature of the signage and the duration of its placement remain unspecified in the executive order.