Trump orders signage claiming 'ideological capture' of Smithsonian

President Donald Trump ramped up his attacks against the Smithsonian Institution over the weekend by issuing an executive action that ordered new "temporary exhibits or signage" to be installed outside the National Museum of American History (NMAH), "warning" visitors about "the Ideological Capture" of the museum.

The "ideological capture" is a reference to allegations that the White House made against leaders at NMAH in a blistering July 4 report released by the White House Domestic Policy Council, accusing the museum and its leaders of presenting "a radical view of American history."

The report includes dozens of examples of exhibits and materials in exhibits that the White House has determined to be examples of "radical activism."

"Such signage shall notify visitors that the Museum exhibits should be renovated consistent with the findings in the Report and direct visitors to locations and resources for accurate information regarding America's history," Trump's executive order states.

Asked about the executive order, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian told ABC News on Monday they have "no comment at this time."

The Smithsonian Museum of American History is pictured on the National Mall in Washington, April 3, 2019.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo

Trump ordered the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, to install temporary signs "along the NPS-maintained sidewalks and walkways used by the public to access the Museum" to inform visitors of the findings of the White House report.

He also ordered the Interior Department to install new signage or exhibits on NPS-maintained land around the museum "that corrects inaccurate information presented in the Museum" regarding the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, claiming that the museum "failed to appropriately appropriately honor" on the nation's 250th anniversary in July.

ABC News reached out to the Interior Department and NPS to inquire about the timeline for installing new materials, but a request for comment was not returned.

NMAH Director Anthea Hartig pushed back against the White House's report while publicly testifying in a pair of House congressional hearings last week, where she asserted that the museum "does not take sides in America's political debates.

"Our work is governed by the Smithsonian standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence, and nonpartisanship," Hartig said in her opening remarks on Tuesday before a House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency. "The museum does not take sides in America's political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions."

Hartig, who is the first top Smithsonian official to publicly address these accusations before Congress, added that while the Smithsonian "takes the concerns raised" in the White House report "seriously," the report "does not fairly or accurately" represent the museum's work.

"The Smithsonian takes the concerns raised in the White House Domestic Policy Council's report seriously, and as we continue to fact-check the report, we unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum," she said. "There is always room for improvement, but I also know the beauty and the inspiration and the expertise that lies in our collections, our exhibits, and our programming."

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch speaks at an event, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington.

Allison Robbert/AP Photo

Hartig echoed comments made by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch in an internal letter to staff that was obtained by ABC News.

"While there will always be room for improvement, this report is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History," Bunch, who has not addressed the report publicly, said in the letter. "At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy, and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America's story."

The White House report was born out a review that was launched in response to Trump's March 27, 2025 executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History."

The executive order directed Vice President J.D. Vance, in consultation with the president's advisers on domestic policy, "to remove improper ideology" from Smithsonian institutions, arguing that materials that cast America in a "negative light" have no place in federal cultural institutions.

"The serious concerns raised in this report are not about a few exhibits or a few controversial labels," the report says. "As it stands today, it would benefit most Americans, especially parents bringing their children for a tour, if the Smithsonian's flagship history museum had a label at every entrance that reads: 'Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don't want you to love your country.'"

Hartig pushed back against this claim on Tuesday and invited lawmakers to visit the museum to view its contents themselves.

"I believe what you will find, madams and sirs, is not an institution that has forgotten its country, but one that loves it enough to tell the full sweep of history, our triumphs and our struggles," she said. "I love the United States of America. I consider it the privilege of my career to help preserve its treasures and serve the American people."

The Smithsonian Institution, which oversees 21 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, was established by Congress in 1846 and is both publicly and privately funded.

According to the Smithsonian Institution, it currently receives more than $1 billion in federal funding -- about 62% of its funding -- and the remainder of the funds come from "trust funds or non-federal funds, including contributions from private sources" and revenues from Smithsonian enterprises.

Bunch has been leading the Smithsonian since 2019 but the institution is overseen by a 17-member governing body, known as the Board of Regents. Bunch, who met with Trump at the White House on Aug. 28, 2025, repeatedly affirmed the Smithsonian's "independence" from political influence.

Referencing his conversations with Trump in a Sept. 3, 2025 letter to the institution's employees, Bunch underscored the independence of the Smithsonian, saying it was "paramount." He also told employees that the institution remains committed to telling the "American story" and "will always be, a place that welcomes all Americans and the world."