US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, which runs more than 20 museums and research centres in Washington and New York, with the aim of "eliminating inappropriate, polarising or anti-American ideology" from the institutions, the BBC reported today.
The title of the decree is "Restoring Truth and Reason to American History." The BBC article says that Vice President J.D. Vance, who as Vice President of the United States is automatically a member of the board of the Smithsonian Institution, will lead the purge.
It also orders Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to restore all federal property, including parks, monuments and statues, that has been "improperly removed or altered within the past five years to carry out a historical audit."
The order emphasizes that Congress should not fund Smithsonian Institution exhibits and programs that "divide Americans by race." It also states that the American Women's History Museum, which is still under construction, plans to "recognize men as women."
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is also mentioned, which reportedly declared "hard work," "individualism," and "traditional family" as aspects of "white culture." The museum opened in 2016 in Washington, D.C., as former President Barack Obama, America's first black president, was leaving office.
The Smithsonian museums are visited by an estimated 15 to 30 million people annually. They are 21 museums in Washington, Virginia, and New York. They include the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery, the American Museum of Art, the National Zoo, and dozens of others.
Trump has begun a radical reshaping of American culture, which he says is contaminated with "wok" leftist ideology. He has already signed several executive orders aimed at eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs from the federal government.
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