Executive Order 14253

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Executive Order 14253
Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History
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Executive Order 14253.pdf
Front page of Executive Order 14253
Type Executive order
Number14245
President Donald Trump
SignedMarch 31, 2025
Federal Register details
Federal Register
document number		2025-05838
Publication dateApril 3, 2025
Summary
  • Effects how the Smithsonian Institution and its properties cover American values and seeks to remove improper ideology from such properties
  • Ensures all monuments, memorials, statues and markers within the Department of the Interior's jurisdiction do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living
  • Reinstates any pre-existing monuments, memorials, statues and markers that have been removed or changed to "perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology"

Executive Order 14253, titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History", is an executive order signed by Donald Trump on March 31, 2025.

Contents

The order seeks to shape how the Smithsonian Institution's museums, education, research centers, and the National Zoo characterize American history, aiming to "remove improper ideology from such properties" in order to project "a symbol of inspiration and American greatness". [1] [2] [3]

The order calls for the Department of Interior to determine whether, since January 1, 2020, any monuments, memorials, statues and markers, within the department's jurisdiction contain any descriptions, depictions, or other content that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times)". Additionally, it orders the reinstatement of any pre-existing monuments, memorials, statues, and markers that have been removed or changed to "perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology." [4] [3] [5]

The National Park Service subsequently removed or flagged for removal signage and educational content at at least 25 sites in the National Park System including those relating to slavery and Black history, Native American history, climate change and conservation, and LGBTQ history. [6] [7]

Provisions

Executive Order 14253 calls for the Vice President, the Secretary of the Interior, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget working with Congress, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Senior Associate Staff Secretary, Lindsey Halligan to enforce its policies "including by seeking to remove improper ideology from such properties" and "recommend to the President any additional actions necessary to fully effectuate such policies." [8]

The order states that future appropriations to the Smithsonian Institution shall be informed by these guidelines and prohibits expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy". It stipulates that the Smithsonian Institution must "celebrate the achievements of women in the American Women's History Museum" and "not recognize men as women in any respect in the Museum." [3]

The order also directs the Secretary of the Interior to determine whether, since January 1, 2020, monuments, memorials, statues and markers, within the departments jurisdiction contain any descriptions, depictions, or other content "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times)". The department is also ordered to reinstate any pre-existing monuments, memorials, statues and markers that have been removed or changed to "perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology." [5] [8] Trump directed federal officials to take action on materials that "inappropriately disparage Americans" [9] in order to emphasize "progress of the American people" and the "grandeur of the American landscape." [10]

Background

During the first 100 days of his second term, Trump focused on cultural organizations like the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which he alleged were influenced by a "woke" and "race-centered" ideology. [11] [12] [13] [14]

In Executive Order 14253, he made various claims about the institution, such as that "the National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that 'hard work', 'individualism', and 'the nuclear family' are aspects of 'White culture.'" [11] [15]

Impact

The National Park Service initiated a review of materials presented to visitors at all its 433 national parks, monuments, and historic sites. [16] Signs asking visitors to report "any signs or other information that are negative about past or living Americans" were placed in parks. [10] [17]

Exhibit panels on enslaved people owned by George Washington at the President's House in Philadelphia were removed on January 22, 2026. [18] [19] The city of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit the same day, seeking a preliminary injunction to restore the removed exhibits, which had been installed under a cooperative agreement with local funding. [20] In February 2026, federal judge Cynthia M. Rufe ruled that panels depicting enslaved lives must be reinstated at the President's House site in Philadelphia. [21] [22] In her judgement she quoted from George Orwell 's dystopian Nineteen Eighty-Four and wrote:

As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's 1984 now existed, with its motto "Ignorance is Strength," this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not. [23]

Parts of an exhibit at Grand Canyon National Park mentioning the impact of settlers, cattle ranchers, and tourism on the regional environment and local native tribes were removed. [24] References to the impact of climate change and rising sea levels on Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park were removed in January 2026. [25] [26] The Trump administration also censored content related to Native Americans at Grand Teton National Park, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument; related to transgender activists at Stonewall National Monument; and related to climate change at Glacier National Park, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and Acadia National Park. [27] [28]

A coalition led by the National Parks Conservation Association filed suit against the Department of the Interior, stating that the actions to remove educational materials violated the Administrative Procedure Act. [29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History". Federal Register. April 3, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  2. ↑ "How will Trump's executive order affect the Smithsonian?". NPR. Archived from the original on April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Schuessler, Jennifer (March 29, 2025). "What to Know About Trump's Order Taking Aim at the Smithsonian". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Trump signs order to 'restore' American history with Smithsonian Institution overhaul". NPR. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Trump wants to restore statues and monuments. Will that happen?". NPR. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  6. ↑ Dapcevich, Madison (February 19, 2026). "The Trump Administration Keeps Taking Down NPS Signs. Here Are the Ones Removed or Flagged So Far". Outside. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Examples of Censorship from National Parks Conservation Association et. al. v. Department of the Interior, et. al". Democracy Forward. February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History". Federal Register. April 3, 2025. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  9. ↑ Snyder, Dan; Wheeler, Alan (September 25, 2025). "Philadelphia City Council passes 2 resolutions to condemn acts by Trump administration". CBS News . Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Joselow, Maxine; Friedman, Lisa (July 22, 2025). "Trump Told Park Workers to Report Displays That 'Disparage' Americans. Here's What They Flagged". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 22, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  11. 1 2 "What is the Smithsonian, and why is President Trump unhappy with it?". AP News. March 28, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  12. ↑ Avila, Joseph De. "Trump Orders Removal of 'Divisive Race-Centered Ideology' From Smithsonian". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Trump to attend Kennedy Center performance of 'Les Misérables'". New York Daily News. June 11, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  14. ↑ Veltman, Chloe (March 28, 2025). "Trump executive order seeks to 'restore' American history through Smithsonian overhaul". NPR. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  15. ↑ Smith, David (March 30, 2025). "'It reminds you of a fascist state': Smithsonian Institution braces for Trump rewrite of US history". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  16. ↑ Friedman, Lisa (June 13, 2025). "National Parks Are Told to Delete Content That 'Disparages Americans'". The New York Times . Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  17. ↑ Veltman, Chloe (June 26, 2025). "Asked to flag 'negative' National Park content, visitors gave their own 2 cents instead". NPR. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  18. ↑ Kariuki, Nick (January 23, 2026). "Philadelphia sues after National Park Service dismantles slavery exhibit at President's House site". Billy Penn at WHYY. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  19. ↑ Roth, Fallon; Prosser, Maggie (January 22, 2026). "The slavery exhibits at the President's House have been removed following Trump administration push". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  20. ↑ Kottke, Joe; Helsel, Phil (January 22, 2026). "Philadelphia sues after slavery exhibits were taken down from President's House site". NBC News . Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  21. ↑ Mackey, Robert (February 17, 2026). "US judge orders Trump administration to restore Philadelphia slavery exhibit". The Guardian. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  22. ↑ Mitman, Hayden (February 18, 2026). "Judge sets deadline for Trump Administration to restore slavery exhibit". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  23. ↑ "City of Philadephia v. Doug Burgum et al: Civil action 26-34" (PDF). United States District Court for the Eastern district of Pennsylvania. February 16, 2026. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  24. ↑ Spring, Jake (January 27, 2026). "National park signs related to Native Americans, climate change to be removed". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved January 27, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  25. ↑ Joselow, Maxine (January 22, 2026). "Park Service Erases Climate Facts at Fort Sumter, Where the Civil War Began". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  26. ↑ Harden, By Blaine (January 27, 2026). "The 'Biggest Tragedy' of Trump's Gutting of the National Park Service". Inside Climate News. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". National Parks Conservation Association. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  28. ↑ "National park signs related to Native Americans, climate change to be removed". The Washington Post. January 27, 2026. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved February 19, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  29. ↑ "National Parks Conservation Association Joins Coalition Lawsuit to Stop Censorship of History, Science in Parks". National Parks Conservation Association. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
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