President Trump has intensified his administration's efforts to influence how American history is presented. Just days after Independence Day, the White House released a 162-page report accusing the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History of promoting what it terms “major political activism.” The report further claims the Smithsonian “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”
This move is part of a wider initiative under the executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” aimed at reshaping cultural institutions. Earlier changes include alterations at the National Park Service, where references to Harriet Tubman were briefly removed from an Underground Railroad webpage, the term “enslaved African Americans” was changed to “enslaved workers,” and information about Benjamin Franklin’s history as a slave owner was removed and later restored following public backlash.
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, the institution's first African American leader, is at the center of this controversy. The administration argues that these actions correct ideological bias and restore patriotism, though critics note that sanitizing history does not alter historical facts. The administration has shown a pattern of minimizing or rewriting uncomfortable chapters of American history, including changes to National Park Service websites and executive orders affecting educational content and museum displays.
Sources: The Hill
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