President Donald Trump has signed an executive order demanding the Smithsonian Institution stop telling the full story of the nation’s past. The order attacks exhibits on racism, equity, identity, and inclusion, and threatens funding for museums like the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
If they don’t fall in line, Trump’s new directive empowers Vice President J.D. Vance and his team to root out what they call divisive race-centered ideology from all Smithsonian properties. They’ve been instructed to rewrite museum programs, review staff appointments, and even dictate how American history should be interpreted.
The Smithsonian, while technically not a federal agency, still receives more than 60 percent of its funding from Congress. That amounts to over $1 billion a year.
His order directs the Office of Management and Budget to cut federal dollars from any exhibits that “divide Americans based on race.”
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
