President Donald Trump orders installation of warning signs at Smithsonian museum to address inaccurate historical exhibits
The administration announced a directive on Friday to install temporary warning signs on the sidewalks of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. These signs will notify visitors that some current exhibits contain inaccurate information and direct them to other resources for more accurate historical data. The order follows a scathing White House report released on July 4, which accused the museum of using an ideological framework that often serves as a political instrument to divide citizens rather than celebrating a shared national inheritance. The administration noted that the museum has failed to appropriately honor the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence during the 250th anniversary of the country's founding. While the president lacks the authority to immediately overhaul the museum's internal exhibits, the signs serve as a public acknowledgment of the museum's current state. Museum officials have declined to comment on the order, while museum director Anthea M. Hartig pushed back against the report's characterization of the museum's work during recent congressional hearings.