Donald Trump has ordered the interior department to display signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History accusing the institution of inaccuracy, escalating his campaign against the museum over its portrayal of US history.
The order, announced on Friday, calls for temporary signs to be placed along the National Parks Service-maintained walkways leading into the museum. The signs will notify visitors that exhibits should be renovated in line with findings from a White House report criticising the museum for focusing too much on injustices rather than triumphant moments such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Interior secretary Doug Burgum will work with the National Park Service and domestic policy aide Vince Haley to produce the signs, which must also direct the public to alternative sources of historical information. A separate set of signs will criticise the Smithsonian for not commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence adequately.
The American Historical Association, representing professional historians, defended the Smithsonian in a statement, praising its 'commitment to scholarship and accuracy'. It warned that political interference threatened the integrity of historical interpretation and public trust.
Museum director Anthea Hartig told Congress earlier this month that the institution 'tells the truth about the times that the country fell short of its own founding ideals'. The White House report, titled 'Saving America’s Story', accused the museum of 'ideological capture' and treating history as a divisive political instrument.
