ALBAWABA — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order mandating the removal of programs within the Smithsonian Institution that he claims promote "divisive rhetoric" and "inappropriate ideology." The decision is part of a broader push by his administration to reshape public institutions and combat what it views as ideological bias in federally funded organizations.
According to a White House statement, Trump criticized several Smithsonian museums — including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Women’s History Museum, and the American Art Museum — accusing them of distorting American history. “Museums in our nation's capital should be places of learning, not ideological indoctrination,” Trump said.
As part of the executive order, Vice President J.D. Vance has been assigned to lead an audit of the Smithsonian’s programs. Vance will ensure that the institution’s federally allocated funds are not being used to support activities that, according to Trump, “demean American values, promote racial division, or contradict federal laws.”
The announcement follows a related controversy involving Columbia University. In April 2024, students held pro-Palestinian protests against the university's investments linked to Israeli military actions in Gaza. Following a $400 million funding cut by the government, Columbia agreed to expand its Israel and Jewish Studies programs, revise its definition of antisemitism, and ban masked protests inside academic buildings.
Trump’s latest move signals an escalation in his administration’s cultural agenda, targeting what he describes as “ideological infiltration” in public and academic institutions. The Smithsonian, with its vast educational reach, now faces significant oversight and programmatic changes in the months ahead.
