President Donald Trump on Friday ordered warning signs placed in front of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, saying they should alert visitors to what he called inaccurate information in the museum. The Trump Smithsonian Museum signage order directs federal agencies to install temporary signs along the walkways visitors use to reach the building.
Trump said the signs will inform visitors of the July 4 report and point them to locations and resources for accurate information regarding America’s history. He also directed Doug Burgum, Russell Vought, the administrator of the General Services Administration, and the assistant to the president for domestic policy to use all available authorities to carry out the order.
Smithsonian walkways and signs
The order places the signs in front of the museum and along NPS-maintained sidewalks and walkways used by the public to access it. Trump said the signs are temporary, but he did not specify how long they will remain in place. The action changes what visitors see before they enter the museum and makes the dispute visible at the access points themselves.
July 4 report and March 2025
Trump linked the order to a White House report released on July 4 that said the museum cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic. He had already said in March 2025 that he intended to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution and signed an executive order aimed at federal funding for programs that present divisive narratives and improper ideology.
In that order and related statements, he wrote that Smithsonian leadership does not present American history as a shared national inheritance to be taught and celebrated, and that it treats American history as a prime tool to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society. He also wrote that the leadership of the institution and the museum cannot be trusted to tell America’s story with honesty and gratitude.
Lonnie Bunch response
Lonnie Bunch said in an email to NBC News earlier this month that the White House’s report is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History. He said the Smithsonian’s work is driven by scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story, and that the institution remains focused on scholarship, nonpartisanship, independence, accuracy, and integrity.
The dispute now reaches the public approach to the museum itself: Trump says visitors should be warned about inaccurate information, while Bunch says the report misstates the museum’s work. The order does not identify which exhibits or claims Trump wants visitors warned about, leaving the signs to carry the message without naming the specific target.
