President Donald Trump has directed the installation of warning signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, aiming to alert visitors that the museum’s presentations may reflect a revisionist interpretation of U.S. history, according to letters from the Interior Department to two U.S. senators. The proposed plan calls for 12 temporary signs at an estimated cost of $84,000, with content designed to inform visitors about the museum’s interpretive approach.
In a Sept. 3 letter to Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum referenced Trump’s March 2025 executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The order criticized what it described as a widespread revisionist movement that it said distorts foundational American principles and historical achievements. The letter contended that the museum’s curators use the exhibits to promote radical ideologies rather than providing an accurate and coherent account of American history.
The letter emphasized that visitors should be made aware of the museum’s interpretive goals before entering, enabling them to decide whether to engage with the exhibits. It specifically mentioned concerns about displays addressing gender identity, cautioning that parents should be informed if exhibits present views “inconsistent with biology,” including notions that biological sex is not binary and that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
The Interior Department’s communication also criticized Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, who announced his resignation last week, highlighting remarks from a 2000 essay in which Bunch characterized the museum profession as predominantly white and called for changes in workforce diversity. The letter accused Bunch of harboring “invidious discrimination and anti-white animus.” It also took issue with Anthea M. Hartig, director of the National Museum of American History, citing her statements that history serves as a “prime tool of social justice” and connects “research and scholarship to activism and advocacy.”
Bunch and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hartig has disputed claims made in a July 4 White House report that accused the museum of promoting “radical activist ideology” and undermining faith in American institutions. During congressional hearings earlier this year, Republicans criticized Hartig for what they described as fostering national self-loathing. In response, Hartig stated the allegations do not fully characterize the museum’s work and emphasized that expanding historical narratives to include previously marginalized voices seeks to represent a broader spectrum of Americans.
The proposed signage was first ordered in July, shortly after the congressional hearings and the issuance of the executive order. The signs’ exact wording and installation timeline have not been finalized. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, a Democrat, also received a copy of the Interior Department letter.
Conservative commentator Mike Gonzalez of the Heritage Foundation welcomed the plan, asserting that visitors deserve transparency regarding what he called the ideological influence shaping the Smithsonian’s exhibits.