The Trump Administration wants visitors to the Smithsonian to know it disagrees with the museums’ leadership. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has written to U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Merkley about plans to place twelve warning signs at Washington, D.C., museum sites regarding the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of American History (NMAH). The signs would be temporary, placed on National Park Service land, and would cost an estimated $7,000 each, totaling about $84,000.
The move follows President Trump’s July executive order, titled “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.” Burgum’s Sept. 3 letter cites several grievances, including statements from NMAH Director Anthea Hartig that history is “a prime tool of social justice.” The letter also charges that NMAH seeks “to legitimize illegal immigration and open borders” and that several exhibits “present ideological viewpoints inconsistent with biology, including ideologies that sex is not binary.” It claims “visitors should be aware of Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s history of invidious discrimination and anti-white animus.”
What the Letter Says
Burgum’s letter states the sign text is not yet finalized. It lists the complaints in order:
- Statements from NMAH Director Anthea Hartig that history is “a prime tool of social justice”
- Allegations that NMAH seeks “to legitimize illegal immigration and open borders”
- Claims that several exhibits “present ideological viewpoints inconsistent with biology, including ideologies that sex is not binary”
- Assertions about Bunch’s history of “invidious discrimination and anti-white animus”
The Smithsonian declined to comment on Burgum’s letter.
Bunch Pushes Back
Lonnie Bunch responded forcefully in a July letter to Smithsonian staff. In it, he stated the institution’s work is driven by “scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story.” He announced on Sept. 8 that he would retire at the end of the year.
“scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story”
Bunch told NPR the retirement timing was not connected to attacks from the Trump Administration.
Senators React
Sen. Merkley said in a statement: “This is another step in a well-planned pressure campaign by the Trump Administration to undermine the integrity and independence of the Smithsonian Institution. I’ll fight like hell to protect the Smithsonian’s independence so that the Institution can continue to tell all of America’s story for generations to come.”
NPR reached out to Murkowski for comment.
A Familiar Pattern
Pressure campaigns against cultural institutions are not new. Museums, universities, and other independent bodies have faced similar efforts in recent years. What distinguishes this case is the scale: the Smithsonian is a national institution, and the Trump Administration is using federal land to deliver its message.
The cost is modest — $84,000 — but the symbolic value is high. A sign on federal land carries weight because it comes from the government itself, not from a private group. The administration’s stated goal is to warn visitors about the Smithsonian’s leadership, which it says has altered the museum’s role from accurately telling America’s story to advancing personal, radical ideologies.
The letter cites statements and allegations but does not attach documents, studies, or other evidence to back them up. It simply states them as reasons for the signs.
The administration’s case is that Smithsonian leadership has moved beyond telling history accurately toward advancing personal, radical ideologies. Warning signs on federal land are meant to signal that disagreement. The Smithsonian’s case is that its independence and scholarly integrity are under attack by a political actor who has repeatedly cited its leadership as examples of ideological excess.
Who is protecting what
The practical effect of the warning signs is simple: a visitor to the Smithsonian will see a federal sign on federal land warning against the Smithsonian’s leadership. The paper suspects that sign carries weight because it comes from the government itself, not from a private group.
The paper suspects the administration’s motive is political leverage over a national institution. The signs are temporary and inexpensive — $84,000 total — so the cost is modest, but the message is permanent while the signs stand. The letter cites statements and allegations without attaching documents or studies to back them up, simply stating them as reasons for the signs.
The paper suspects the Smithsonian’s motive is protecting its independence and scholarly integrity. Director Anthea Hartig and Secretary Lonnie Bunch have both pushed back publicly, with Bunch announcing his retirement at the end of the year and telling NPR the timing was not connected to attacks from the Trump Administration.
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