From Rolling Stone · Jack Crosbie · · 1m 30s
Trump spends $84K on signs attacking Smithsonian
The administration is using taxpayer money to install signs accusing the Smithsonian of bias, escalating a culture war over how America's history is told.
In brief
The administration is using taxpayer money to install signs accusing the Smithsonian of bias, escalating a culture war over how America's history is told. Trump's administration is spending federal funds to publicly challenge the Smithsonian's historical narratives, particularly around race and gender, rather than…
Trump targets Smithsonian with $84K sign campaign
The Trump administration plans to spend $84,000 installing large signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History accusing it of presenting a biased version of the past.
Signs will detail curator viewpoints
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote that the signs would detail the personal viewpoints that museum curators are seeking to advance in their exhibits.
“"personal viewpoints that the curators of the exhibits are seeking to advance."”
Executive orders target Smithsonian ideology
In March 2025, Trump signed an order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, specifically targeting the need to remove improper ideology from Smithsonian properties. A July order followed to install temporary signage.
Trump claims Smithsonian has gone too woke
Trump believes the Smithsonian, which has served as a living record of American history since the 1960s, has become influenced by what he calls divisive, race-centered ideology that portrays American values as inherently harmful.
“"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."”
Disputes center on race and gender history
The conflict revolves around how the Smithsonian presents America's racist past and exhibits acknowledging transgender and gender non-conforming Americans. Trump and allies want to soften depictions of historical violence and racism.
The bottom line
Trump's administration is spending federal funds to publicly challenge the Smithsonian's historical narratives, particularly around race and gender, rather than engaging in substantive debate.
