Perhaps taking a cue from Elon Musk, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on July 24 that effectively adds “Community Notes” to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
In the last decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted effort to rewrite our history and force a factually baseless ideology that discredits American heroes.
The Report shows Smithsonian leadership shifted the mission from celebrating our shared heritage to extreme political… pic.twitter.com/IP5ix1GvIz
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 26, 2026
The order directs the National Park Service to install temporary signs along the sidewalks and walkways used to enter the Washington, D.C., museum. Unlike Community Notes on X, the warnings will not be attached directly to individual claims or displays. However, they will address the administration’s concerns about misinformation and direct visitors toward alternative historical resources.
White House Accuses Smithsonian of Ideological Capture
The executive order follows an earlier directive requiring the Domestic Policy Council to review the Smithsonian and release its findings. The resulting report, titled Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage, concluded that the museum consistently fails to present the country in a positive light.
President Trump deliver the 2026 State of the Union Address – Fox News, YouTube
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The White House wrote that the report “demonstrates that the Smithsonian leadership does not present American history as a shared national inheritance to be taught and celebrated, but instead views American history as a ‘prime tool’ to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society. The Report also overwhelmingly demonstrates that current leadership of both the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum cannot be trusted to tell America’s story with honesty and gratitude.”
In response to those findings, the White House is taking steps to “restore trust in the Smithsonian Institution.”
National Park Service Will Add Corrective Signs
Although the executive order does not establish a detailed long-term plan for reforming the Smithsonian, several government officials have been tasked with achieving that objective.
In the meantime, the National Park Service will install temporary exhibits or signs intended to correct information the White House considers inaccurate. Because the Smithsonian operates independently of the executive branch, the administration is placing its warnings on surrounding land and walkways maintained by the National Park Service. The order does not specify the signs’ exact language or establish a deadline for their installation.
Exterior shot of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. – Unearthed History, YouTube
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The temporary displays will also address the administration’s claim that “the Museum has failed to appropriately honor the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence during this 250th anniversary year of the founding of our country.”
Critics Frame Trump’s Order as an Attack
Much of the mainstream press has framed Trump’s order as an attack on the Smithsonian and its leadership. Other reports have criticized the White House for supposedly failing to identify specific examples of inaccurate information currently on display. However, the administration’s complete report is publicly available, and several news outlets have highlighted examples from visitors.
A fact sheet provided by the White House says: “The Domestic Policy Council’s Report conclusively shows that Smithsonian and Museum leadership have directed the Museum’s mission away from historical education and scholarship of a shared national inheritance to be celebrated, and toward extreme political activism, rooted in Marxism, to divide, dispirit, and discourage Americans.”
Official White House Logo – The White House, YouTube
Critics will almost certainly characterize the signs as political interference with an independent cultural institution. Supporters, however, may welcome greater scrutiny of exhibits funded largely by American taxpayers.
Ultimately, the temporary signs outside the Smithsonian may serve less as a warning than as a reminder to think critically and check sources—even at the National Museum of American History.
What do you think of the White House putting “Community Notes” around the Smithsonian? Sound off and let us know!
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