US President Donald Trump wants to brand a museum of American history with warning signs at the entrance. Along the paths leading to the National Museum of American History in Washington, the signs would correct alleged misinformation in exhibits, according to an order released by the White House. This would counter the “ideological capture” of the museum, the justification stated.
With the decree, the US government tightens its approach toward famous museums in the capital. Critics say Trump is engaging in historical revisionism and has sparked a cultural clash by suppressing uncomfortable truths about slavery, discrimination against minorities, and other wrongs. He is also prepared to curb artistic freedom and free speech.
What the Warning Signs Should Say
The National Museum of American History is part of the Smithsonian Institution, which runs numerous famous museums in the heart of Washington. They draw tourists from around the world. The warning signs are said to provide reliable information about American history that visitors would otherwise miss. The order did not specify when exactly they would be installed.
The Trump administration has long accused the leadership of the Smithsonian of displaying exhibits that are ideologically motivated. Trump cites in the new order a commissioned report that concludes the current leadership cannot be trusted to convey American history “honestly.”
The Administration Takes Issue with Queer Visibility
The administration’s concerns extend to how LGBTQ topics are represented at the National Museum of American History. A White House report titled “Saving America’s Story” recently criticized, above all, the “Entertainment Nation” segment, which includes references to a bisexual blues singer, a lesbian actress, a gay Major League Baseball player, and a queer football player. Exhibits on drag culture and LGBTQ icons were also criticized. The museum was described as being permeated by a “radical, activist ideology” and presenting America as “pro-transgender.”
Only on Tuesday had Republican Representative Nancy Mace, during a hearing in the U.S. Congress, criticized that photos of RuPaul and other drag queens are on display at the National Museum of American History in New York. “Subjecting children to such stuff sexualizes them,” the politician claimed. “That makes them vulnerable to people who want to rape or abuse them” (TheColu.mn reported).
Earlier, exhibitions on queer history had already come under government scrutiny, such as a show with ties to Stonewall, drag culture, and LGBTQ activism. The government had also pressured queer content in other Smithsonian venues: for instance, Vice President JD Vance, who also serves on the Smithsonian Institution’s board, criticized last year the planned exhibition “American Sublime” by artist Amy Sherald at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery—because of a painting portraying a Black trans woman as the Statue of Liberty. The artist subsequently pulled her entire show. Critics argue that the government’s approach is aimed at shrinking the visibility of queer history across several of the country’s most visited museums.
Trump Wants to See the “Unparalleled Heritage of Our Nation” Honored
Already a year earlier, the Trump administration had exhibitions in famous Washington museums subject to review. In the context of the United States’ 250th founding anniversary, exhibition texts, wall labels, websites, and educational materials were to be examined for tone, historical framing, and “alignment with American ideals.”
Prior to that, Trump issued a decree mandating that museums work to present historical narratives in line with government messaging. The Republican asserts that in the past decade there have been “concerted and widespread attempts to rewrite the history of our country and replace facts with a distorted narrative driven more by ideology than by truth.” In the name of patriotism, the “unparalleled heritage of our nation” should no longer be depicted as sexist, racist, or oppressive.
