Trump Admin Preparing to Place Warning Signs Around Smithsonian American History Museum
The Trump administration has begun outlining plans to place warning signs outside the Smithsonian American History Museum, denoting false information and politically biased accounts of the country’s past.
The Interior Department sent letters to two senators, one from each party, detailing its intent to install 12 temporary signs costing $84,000, according to a Wednesday report by The New York Times.
The letters, sent to GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, did not specify the signs’ size or their content.
They did, however, declare that the effort would align with President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
Trump’s order mandated that “improper ideology” be removed from Smithsonian properties, because “over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”
Interior Sec. Doug Burgum said he issued the letters in response to questions from lawmakers about Trump’s declaration.
The letters said that Americans should be able to visit the museum and have “relevant information about the curators’ interpretation of history and their stated goal of changing the viewpoints of visitors.”
It then accused Smithsonian’s leaders of having “altered the museum’s role from accurately and coherently telling America’s story to using the museum as a tool to advance personal, radical ideologies.”
“We believe the public should enter the museum fully equipped with the information needed to evaluate whether to invest their time viewing these exhibits and programming.”
Additionally, Burgum stated that the signs will “ensure parents bringing young children to the museum are equipped to protect the well-being of their children.”
This was in relation to “present ideological viewpoints inconsistent with biology, including ideologies that sex is not binary, that biological men can be women and that biological men should be permitted to compete in women’s sports.”
The Atlantic reported on the letters this week as well, writing that they were issued on Sept. 3. Moreover, the outlet cited a source familiar with the project who said the author of the text, and its specific content, remain under wraps.
“This may be the first instance in which executive branch intervention of this nature has become Necessary,” Burgum explained.
In addition, he was highly critical of outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, who announced his retirement last week.
“Visitors should be aware of Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s history of invidious discrimination and anti-white animus,” the letter declared.
It also referred to an essay in which Bunch “described the museum profession as ‘awash in whiteness,'” and stated that “until we change the tint and tone of our work force, we are just dancing around the edges of our greatest failure.”
Republican lawmakers celebrated the news of Bunch’s imminent departure last week, pointing out his large government salary and his love for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri responded to the news with an X post, simply writing, “Good riddance. He should return his salary to the American people.”
Good riddance. He should return his salary to the American people https://t.co/gkITnA6hte
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 8, 2026
GOP Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas posted a message on X which read, “Lonnie Bunch openly admitted that he worked to put DEI at the ‘center’ of institutions like the Smithsonian. And he did it while raking in $4.4 million between 2020-2024.”
He added, “It’s time for the Smithsonian to return to what it once was: A cherished organization promoting ideals that unify Americans.”
A July report from the White House Domestic Policy Council pointed to multiple instances of institutional bias that are corrupting “America’s story.”
It called out the National Museum of American History for having “extensively advocated for millions of illegal aliens to be granted U.S. citizenship and voting rights,” by creating a curriculum that instructs high school teachers to avoid using terms like “illegal alien.”
Additionally, it accused the museum of framing illegals as oppressed people who “are essential to America’s culture, economy, and society, and therefore should become U.S. citizens.”
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