Trump Issues Order to Eliminate ‘Improper, Divisive’ Ideology at Smithsonian Museums

The order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to restore federal parks and monuments that have been ‘improperly removed’ in the past five years.

People gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery to announce the installation of a life-size painting of President Abraham Lincoln by artist W.F.K. Travers in Washington on Feb. 10, 2023. Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 27 directing the removal of what he deemed “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from facilities operated by the Smithsonian Institution.

The order states that Vice President JD Vance, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, will oversee the removal of such ideology from the institute’s museums, research centers, and the National Zoo.