Republican Senator Challenges Trump's Smithsonian Warning Signs
Trump’s executive order followed a White House review alleging museum displays fail to adequately emphasize national achievements.
Two senators from opposing political parties have requested detailed answers from the Trump administration regarding an executive order aimed at installing warning signs at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, and Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum questioning the directive.
The proposal stems from an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which asserts the museum has been promoting ideological activism rather than historical scholarship. Murkowski, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, and Merkley, the ranking member, asked whether the National Park Service has previously been used in a similar way and demanded a breakdown of the cost to taxpayers.
The senators emphasized that the Smithsonian has been committed to sharing objective historical evidence for the past 180 years, not political narratives. The conflict underscores a broader debate over the curation of American history in federally funded institutions.
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