President Donald Trump’s latest executive order, Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, has sparked fierce criticism from civil rights advocates, historians, and Black political leaders, who accuse him of attempting to erase the reality of systemic racism in the United States. The order specifically targets the Smithsonian Institution, with a focus on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, arguing that it promotes a divisive, race-centred ideology rather than celebrating the nation’s legacy of liberty and progress.
A selective retelling of history
Trump’s directive insists that the country’s Founding Fathers declared “all men are created equal”—yet it conspicuously omits the fact that slavery was legally enshrined in the US Constitution and that enslaved individuals were counted as three-fifths of a person for census purposes.
“It seems like we’re headed towards a version of history that attempts to deny the existence of slavery, Jim Crow laws, segregation, and racial violence against Black communities,” said Clarissa Myrick-Harris, a historian and professor at Morehouse College, a historically Black institution in Atlanta.
Trump’s order further empowers Vice President JD Vance to review all Smithsonian properties, programmes, and exhibitions to ensure that none “degrade shared American values or divide Americans based on race.” Additionally, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has been tasked with identifying whether any monuments removed since January 2020 have been altered in a way that presents a “false reconstruction” of American history. This move aligns with Trump’s longstanding opposition to the removal of Confederate monuments, a debate that intensified following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
‘An attack on black America itself’
Historians and activists have condemned Trump’s efforts, arguing that they reflect a broader pattern of downplaying the contributions of Black Americans while dismissing their historical struggles.
“Trump’s approach is a literal attack on Black America itself,” said Ibram X. Kendi, a historian and best-selling author on race. He pointed out that the National Museum of African American History and Culture, often referred to as the Black Smithsonian, is “one of the heartbeats of Black America”, as well as a crucial part of the nation’s broader historical narrative.
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) accused Trump of seeking to distort history to fit a racist agenda.
“We do not erase history simply because we don’t like it,” Clarke stated. “We embrace the history of our country—the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
A museum once praised by Trump
Ironically, Trump himself once praised the museum he is now targeting. In 2017, shortly after taking office, he visited the African American museum in Washington, D.C., calling it a “national gem.”
“I’m deeply proud that we now have a museum that honours the millions of African American men and women who built our national heritage,” Trump said at the time, following a tour alongside Senator Tim Scott and then-Housing Secretary Ben Carson, both of whom are Black.
Historians argue that museums dedicated to marginalised groups—including Black Americans, Native Americans, and women—serve an essential role in telling a more complete version of history.
“Attempts to tell the general history of the country always omit too much,” said Ben Jealous, former NAACP president and current Sierra Club leader. “These institutions exist to correct those omissions.”
Trump’s broader ‘war on woke’
Trump’s attack on the Smithsonian is part of his broader campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, both in government and the private sector. Throughout his presidency and re-election campaign, he has aggressively criticised so-called “woke culture”, arguing that it distorts the nation’s values.
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Since taking office in January, Trump has:
- Banned diversity initiatives across the federal government
- Launched investigations into universities that use race-conscious admissions policies
- Fired diversity officers in federal agencies
- Curtailed government celebrations of Black History Month
- Terminated grants and contracts for projects aimed at addressing racial disparities
Even within the Department of Defence, Trump’s administration has made sweeping changes. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the removal of training materials highlighting the contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen and an online biography of Jackie Robinson. Additionally, General C.Q. Brown, the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a strong advocate for racial diversity, was dismissed.
‘A chilling effect on black history’
Experts warn that Trump’s executive order could have wider repercussions beyond the Smithsonian.
Kendi pointed out that many Black history museums already struggle for funding, as most receive little to no federal support. Institutions like San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora, Montgomery’s Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, and Charleston’s International African American Museum could face further financial hardships.
“To me, that’s part of the plan,” Kendi said. “The goal is to starve these institutions of resources, so that the only version of American history being told is one that is politically sanitised.”
A fight over America’s story
Trump’s executive order has ignited a fierce debate over how America tells its own story. While his supporters argue that he is defending patriotic values, critics see it as an attempt to erase uncomfortable truths.
With the 2024 presidential election approaching, the battle over history is set to become yet another front in America’s deepening political and cultural divide.
