03/29/2025

Trump Wants to Reshape the Smithsonian

Understand how the Smithsonian operates

The Smithsonian, a sprawling, 21-museum institution tasked with telling the story of the United States and much more, could see changes under President Donald Trump, who in a Thursday executive order set his sights on ridding the institution of ideas that he says “undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States.”

According to a White House "fact sheet" summarizing the order, the president has instructed the vice president "to eliminate improper, divisive or anti-American ideology" from the institution's entities.

Trump’s unprecedented call to influence programming at an institution that has operated largely independently for its more than 175-year history raises questions about the fate of millions of items the country holds in what’s sometimes called "the nation’s attic."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.