Trump’s Trigger Warnings
President Trump has issued an executive order directing the Department of the Interior to place warning signs outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The order claims the museum suffers from 'ideological capture' and demands more patriotic exhibits.
Why it matters
This action represents a significant escalation in the ongoing political debate over how American history is curated, interpreted, and presented in public institutions.
The president is ordering new signs outside the Smithsonian to warn Americans about history.
Maxine Wallace / The Washington Post / Getty July 24, 2026, 8:41 PM ET Share Save Incensed by the Smithsonian but lacking immediate power to do anything about it, Donald Trump has resorted to trolling the world’s largest museum complex from the sidewalk. In an executive order posted this afternoon, the president directed the Department of the Interior to place signs outside the National Museum of American History warning passersby about “ideological capture” and detailing the findings of his administration’s recent, quickly contested report on the museum. The order comes days after the museum’s director, Anthea Hartig, was grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
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