Trump administration expands university DEI probes to California
'MERIT' MEANS WHITE STR8 MALE
Agence France-Presse
March 27, 2025
UCLA is among the University of California campuses targeted by the Trump administration for an investigation into admissions practices. (AFP)
President Donald Trump's administration said Thursday it will investigate admissions practices at some of California's top universities, broadening a campaign against elite educational institutions.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had ordered probes into how students are admitted to the private Stanford University, as well as to three of the most prestigious campuses of the University of California system -- Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine.
"President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country," Bondi said in a statement.
"Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin."
A spokesperson for the University of California said the institutions have not considered race in admissions since it was outlawed in the state by a 1996 ballot measure, but clarified school applications gather race and ethnicity data "for statistical purposes only."
"This information is not shared with application reviewers and is not used for admissions," the spokesperson added.
A Stanford spokesperson said in a statement that the private university "immediately took steps to ensure compliance in our admissions processes" after the US Supreme Court eliminated race-based affirmative action in 2023.
Conservatives have long griped that America's foremost universities make it easier for ethnic minority students to attend.
They say the insistence on the notion of "diversity, equity and inclusion," or DEI, is damaging and unfair to otherwise well-qualified candidates.
Bondi's announcement comes with elite institutions across the country on the back foot.
This month Trump's administration revoked $400 million of funding from New York's Columbia University, claiming school officials had not sufficiently protected Jewish students during last year's campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza.
On Friday Columbia announced a package of concessions around defining anti-Semitism, policing protests and oversight for specific academic departments in a bid to head off the funding squeeze.
A number of students at various colleges around the country have also been targeted for deportation, in what the government's critics say is part of a broader campaign to silence dissent at America's fractious universities and bring the left-leaning sector to heel.
Agence France-Presse
March 27, 2025
UCLA is among the University of California campuses targeted by the Trump administration for an investigation into admissions practices. (AFP)
President Donald Trump's administration said Thursday it will investigate admissions practices at some of California's top universities, broadening a campaign against elite educational institutions.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had ordered probes into how students are admitted to the private Stanford University, as well as to three of the most prestigious campuses of the University of California system -- Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine.
"President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country," Bondi said in a statement.
"Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin."
A spokesperson for the University of California said the institutions have not considered race in admissions since it was outlawed in the state by a 1996 ballot measure, but clarified school applications gather race and ethnicity data "for statistical purposes only."
"This information is not shared with application reviewers and is not used for admissions," the spokesperson added.
A Stanford spokesperson said in a statement that the private university "immediately took steps to ensure compliance in our admissions processes" after the US Supreme Court eliminated race-based affirmative action in 2023.
Conservatives have long griped that America's foremost universities make it easier for ethnic minority students to attend.
They say the insistence on the notion of "diversity, equity and inclusion," or DEI, is damaging and unfair to otherwise well-qualified candidates.
Bondi's announcement comes with elite institutions across the country on the back foot.
This month Trump's administration revoked $400 million of funding from New York's Columbia University, claiming school officials had not sufficiently protected Jewish students during last year's campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza.
On Friday Columbia announced a package of concessions around defining anti-Semitism, policing protests and oversight for specific academic departments in a bid to head off the funding squeeze.
A number of students at various colleges around the country have also been targeted for deportation, in what the government's critics say is part of a broader campaign to silence dissent at America's fractious universities and bring the left-leaning sector to heel.
Trump order targets 'improper ideology' at famed US museums
Agence France-Presse
March 27, 2025
Trump's effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to remove "improper ideology" from the famed Smithsonian Museums -- and the National Zoo -- expanding his conservative clampdown on cultural institutions.
Trump, who has sought to root out what he called "woke" culture since returning to power in January, accused the Smithsonian of trying to rewrite American history on issues of race and gender.
His order puts hardline Vice President JD Vance in charge of efforts to carry out the order at the Smithsonian's museums, educations and research centers.
Trump said this should include a drive to "remove improper ideology from such properties."
The Smithsonian operates 21 internationally renowned museums and galleries, mainly in and around Washington, dedicated to art, science, space and American history.
They include the National Zoo in the US capital, which recently welcomed two giant pandas from China, debuting them to the public just days after Trump's inauguration for a second term.
The presidential order -- titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" -- targeted a number of examples of what it also called "corrosive ideology."
It said the National Museum of African American History and Culture, one of the newest Smithsonian additions, had described hard work and the nuclear family as "aspects of 'White Culture.'"
Trump also targeted what he said was a plan by the as-yet-unopened American Women's history museum for "celebrating the exploits of male athletes participating in women's sports."
There was no immediate reaction from the Smithsonian.
- 'Safe and beautiful' -
The Smithsonian Institute was founded in the mid-19th century with a donation from a deceased and childless British chemist, James Smithson, who asked in his will for his wealth to be used to create an educational institution in the then-young United States -- a country he had never set foot in.
Trump's wide-ranging 21st century effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark.
The 78-year-old Republican recently took over the chairmanship of the Kennedy Center in Washington, a famed arts venue, after complaining that it was too liberal.
The president has also eyed reforms in governance of the US capital city, which he has repeatedly complained of having high crime and unsightly nuisances such as graffiti.
In a separate order on Thursday titled "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful," Trump directed the creation of an inter-agency task force to increase immigration enforcement and other law enforcement priorities.
It also calls for the development of a "coordinated beautification plan" for the city.
"We will take over our horribly run Washington, DC, and clean up, renovate, and rebuild our capital so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime," Trump said on the campaign trail last year -- a message reposted Thursday on X by the White House.
Washington's approximately 700,000 residents are overwhelmingly Democrats, with the party's candidate Kamala Harris winning over 90 percent of the vote last November.
The city has a unique status in the country as it is not a part of any state. It has no voting representation in Congress -- despite having a population larger than two states.
Though the city now runs its own affairs, Congress -- currently controlled by Republicans -- retains the ability to take back control, something Trump has repeatedly threatened to do.
With that backdrop, city authorities have sought to develop a conciliatory relationship with the president, quickly fulfilling his requests, such as removing some homeless encampments and a "Black Lives Matter" mural.
Agence France-Presse
March 27, 2025
Trump's effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to remove "improper ideology" from the famed Smithsonian Museums -- and the National Zoo -- expanding his conservative clampdown on cultural institutions.
Trump, who has sought to root out what he called "woke" culture since returning to power in January, accused the Smithsonian of trying to rewrite American history on issues of race and gender.
His order puts hardline Vice President JD Vance in charge of efforts to carry out the order at the Smithsonian's museums, educations and research centers.
Trump said this should include a drive to "remove improper ideology from such properties."
The Smithsonian operates 21 internationally renowned museums and galleries, mainly in and around Washington, dedicated to art, science, space and American history.
They include the National Zoo in the US capital, which recently welcomed two giant pandas from China, debuting them to the public just days after Trump's inauguration for a second term.
The presidential order -- titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" -- targeted a number of examples of what it also called "corrosive ideology."
It said the National Museum of African American History and Culture, one of the newest Smithsonian additions, had described hard work and the nuclear family as "aspects of 'White Culture.'"
Trump also targeted what he said was a plan by the as-yet-unopened American Women's history museum for "celebrating the exploits of male athletes participating in women's sports."
There was no immediate reaction from the Smithsonian.
- 'Safe and beautiful' -
The Smithsonian Institute was founded in the mid-19th century with a donation from a deceased and childless British chemist, James Smithson, who asked in his will for his wealth to be used to create an educational institution in the then-young United States -- a country he had never set foot in.
Trump's wide-ranging 21st century effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark.
The 78-year-old Republican recently took over the chairmanship of the Kennedy Center in Washington, a famed arts venue, after complaining that it was too liberal.
The president has also eyed reforms in governance of the US capital city, which he has repeatedly complained of having high crime and unsightly nuisances such as graffiti.
In a separate order on Thursday titled "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful," Trump directed the creation of an inter-agency task force to increase immigration enforcement and other law enforcement priorities.
It also calls for the development of a "coordinated beautification plan" for the city.
"We will take over our horribly run Washington, DC, and clean up, renovate, and rebuild our capital so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime," Trump said on the campaign trail last year -- a message reposted Thursday on X by the White House.
Washington's approximately 700,000 residents are overwhelmingly Democrats, with the party's candidate Kamala Harris winning over 90 percent of the vote last November.
The city has a unique status in the country as it is not a part of any state. It has no voting representation in Congress -- despite having a population larger than two states.
Though the city now runs its own affairs, Congress -- currently controlled by Republicans -- retains the ability to take back control, something Trump has repeatedly threatened to do.
With that backdrop, city authorities have sought to develop a conciliatory relationship with the president, quickly fulfilling his requests, such as removing some homeless encampments and a "Black Lives Matter" mural.
Trump’s 'improper ideology' purge blasted as 'fascist thuggery'
Donald Trump gestures to the crowd as sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. look on near the exit, during a campaign rally at J.S. Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Donald Trump gestures to the crowd as sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. look on near the exit, during a campaign rally at J.S. Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
NEW CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
March 28, 2025
President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, mandating the removal of what he calls “improper ideology,” is being described as “chilling,” amid warnings of fascism. The order also criticizes the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Women’s History Museum, and the American Art Museum.
Issued Wednesday evening, the “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” order denounces what Trump describes as “a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”
“Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history,” the order reads.
It appears to be an attempt to push back on efforts to examine and dismantle racism, white supremacy, and misogyny.
“The order,” Reuters reported, “is vague about what the president views as anti-American ideology. But it suggests Trump is seeking to purge elements of what conservatives view as a revisionist history of the United States that places systemic racism at the heart of its narrative.”
It also comes “as the Trump administration presses forward in its war on diversity, equity and inclusion, a widely used label applied to efforts to improve workplace culture and create more opportunities for disadvantaged groups,” NBC News added.
Created by an act of Congress, the Smithsonian is a Washington, D.C. based entity encompassing over 40 museums and libraries, another 14 education and research centers, and a zoo. A quasi-governmental entity, it also has a private endowment. But about two-thirds of its budget comes from the federal government.
The executive order “marks the Republican president’s latest salvo against cultural pillars of society, such as universities and art, that he considers out of step with conservative sensibilities,” the Associated Press reported. “Trump recently had himself installed as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with the aim of overhauling programming, including the annual Kennedy Center Honors awards show. The administration also recently forced Columbia University to make a series of policy changes by threatening the Ivy League school with the loss of several hundred million dollars in federal funding.”
Critics are leveling charges of fascism.
“Trump to seize control of Smithsonian,” lamented Dr. Iain MacLaren, an astrophysicist at the University of Glasgow. “Fascism seeks to rewrite history and force its narrative. The trigger? Efforts to tell stories of women and black people.”
“This is horrifying,” wrote U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL). “But it’s also a sign of Trump’s deep and abiding fragility. He’s still the kid from the outer boroughs. Strong people go to museums to learn. Weak people run out at the first sign of something that challenges them.”
“Enslaved people built the Smithsonian,” noted Dr. Allison Wiltz, a Black womanist scholar, writer, and editor. “And yet, Trump doesn’t see Black history as worthy, so he’s ordering our contributions removed. You can tell a lot about someone by how they choose to use their power. All he does is cause harm.”
Veteran journalist Lauren Wolfe declared, “This is unabashed fascism.”
“First Trump removes any reference of diversity from the present — now he’s trying to remove it from our history,” observed U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). “Let me be PERFECTLY clear— you cannot erase our past and you cannot stop us from fulfilling our future.”
National security, defense, and intelligence investigative reporter Jeff Stein commented, “Trump goes full-on Soviet with intent to scrub Smithsonian museums etc of ‘improper ideology’.”
President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, mandating the removal of what he calls “improper ideology,” is being described as “chilling,” amid warnings of fascism. The order also criticizes the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Women’s History Museum, and the American Art Museum.
Issued Wednesday evening, the “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” order denounces what Trump describes as “a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”
“Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history,” the order reads.
It appears to be an attempt to push back on efforts to examine and dismantle racism, white supremacy, and misogyny.
“The order,” Reuters reported, “is vague about what the president views as anti-American ideology. But it suggests Trump is seeking to purge elements of what conservatives view as a revisionist history of the United States that places systemic racism at the heart of its narrative.”
It also comes “as the Trump administration presses forward in its war on diversity, equity and inclusion, a widely used label applied to efforts to improve workplace culture and create more opportunities for disadvantaged groups,” NBC News added.
Created by an act of Congress, the Smithsonian is a Washington, D.C. based entity encompassing over 40 museums and libraries, another 14 education and research centers, and a zoo. A quasi-governmental entity, it also has a private endowment. But about two-thirds of its budget comes from the federal government.
The executive order “marks the Republican president’s latest salvo against cultural pillars of society, such as universities and art, that he considers out of step with conservative sensibilities,” the Associated Press reported. “Trump recently had himself installed as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with the aim of overhauling programming, including the annual Kennedy Center Honors awards show. The administration also recently forced Columbia University to make a series of policy changes by threatening the Ivy League school with the loss of several hundred million dollars in federal funding.”
Critics are leveling charges of fascism.
“Trump to seize control of Smithsonian,” lamented Dr. Iain MacLaren, an astrophysicist at the University of Glasgow. “Fascism seeks to rewrite history and force its narrative. The trigger? Efforts to tell stories of women and black people.”
“This is horrifying,” wrote U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL). “But it’s also a sign of Trump’s deep and abiding fragility. He’s still the kid from the outer boroughs. Strong people go to museums to learn. Weak people run out at the first sign of something that challenges them.”
“Enslaved people built the Smithsonian,” noted Dr. Allison Wiltz, a Black womanist scholar, writer, and editor. “And yet, Trump doesn’t see Black history as worthy, so he’s ordering our contributions removed. You can tell a lot about someone by how they choose to use their power. All he does is cause harm.”
Veteran journalist Lauren Wolfe declared, “This is unabashed fascism.”
“First Trump removes any reference of diversity from the present — now he’s trying to remove it from our history,” observed U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). “Let me be PERFECTLY clear— you cannot erase our past and you cannot stop us from fulfilling our future.”
National security, defense, and intelligence investigative reporter Jeff Stein commented, “Trump goes full-on Soviet with intent to scrub Smithsonian museums etc of ‘improper ideology’.”
Trump order targets 'improper ideology' at famed US museums
AFP
Thu, March 27, 2025
Trump's effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark (Annabelle GORDON)Annabelle GORDON/AFP/AFPMore
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to remove "improper ideology" from the famed Smithsonian Museums -- and the National Zoo -- expanding his conservative clampdown on cultural institutions.
Trump, who has sought to root out what he called "woke" culture since returning to power in January, accused the Smithsonian of trying to rewrite American history on issues of race and gender.
His order puts hardline Vice President JD Vance in charge of efforts to carry out the order at the Smithsonian's museums, educations and research centers.
Trump said this should include a drive to "remove improper ideology from such properties."
The Smithsonian operates 21 internationally renowned museums and galleries, mainly in and around Washington, dedicated to art, science, space and American history.
They include the National Zoo in the US capital, which recently welcomed two giant pandas from China, debuting them to the public just days after Trump's inauguration for a second term.
The presidential order -- titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" -- targeted a number of examples of what it also called "corrosive ideology."
It said the National Museum of African American History and Culture, one of the newest Smithsonian additions, had described hard work and the nuclear family as "aspects of 'White Culture.'"
Trump also targeted what he said was a plan by the as-yet-unopened American Women's history museum for "celebrating the exploits of male athletes participating in women's sports."
There was no immediate reaction from the Smithsonian.
- 'Safe and beautiful' -
The Smithsonian Institute was founded in the mid-19th century with a donation from a deceased and childless British chemist, James Smithson, who asked in his will for his wealth to be used to create an educational institution in the then-young United States -- a country he had never set foot in.
Trump's wide-ranging 21st century effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark.
The 78-year-old Republican recently took over the chairmanship of the Kennedy Center in Washington, a famed arts venue, after complaining that it was too liberal.
The president has also eyed reforms in governance of the US capital city, which he has repeatedly complained of having high crime and unsightly nuisances such as graffiti.
In a separate order on Thursday titled "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful," Trump directed the creation of an inter-agency task force to increase immigration enforcement and other law enforcement priorities.
It also calls for the development of a "coordinated beautification plan" for the city.
"We will take over our horribly run Washington, DC, and clean up, renovate, and rebuild our capital so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime," Trump said on the campaign trail last year -- a message reposted Thursday on X by the White House.
Washington's approximately 700,000 residents are overwhelmingly Democrats, with the party's candidate Kamala Harris winning over 90 percent of the vote last November.
The city has a unique status in the country as it is not a part of any state. It has no voting representation in Congress -- despite having a population larger than two states.
Though the city now runs its own affairs, Congress -- currently controlled by Republicans -- retains the ability to take back control, something Trump has repeatedly threatened to do.
With that backdrop, city authorities have sought to develop a conciliatory relationship with the president, quickly fulfilling his requests, such as removing some homeless encampments and a "Black Lives Matter" mural.
dk/des/jgc
Maddow Blog | Trump order targets ‘improper’ ideology at the Smithsonian Institution
Steve Benen
Fri, March 28, 2025
The Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C.
As this week got underway, the public learned about an executive order from Donald Trump that targeted a series of government agencies to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” Included on the list was the Institute of Museum and Library Services — an independent agency described by The New York Times as “the federal government’s main source of support for the nation’s libraries, museums and archives.”
As the week neared its end, one specific museum — by some measures, the nation’s most famous — was apparently on the president’s mind. NBC News reported:
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday taking aim at the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers. Trump directed Vice President JD Vance to eliminate “improper, divisive, or anti-American” ideology from programs at the Smithsonian Institution, which receives federal funding.
The same order, among other things, accused the Biden administration of using the Smithsonian to advance what the Republican president described as a “corrosive” ideology.
How does the White House define words such as “improper”, “divisive,” “anti-American” or “corrosive” in an ideological context? The order didn’t say. Presumably, Trump knows it when he sees it.
He went on to characterize the Smithsonian as an institution that was “once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement” — before it fell victim to a nefarious ideology that Trump considers “divisive.”
As part of the same directive, Vance — a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents — will be responsible for identifying and appointing Smithsonian board members who will commit to “advancing the celebration of America’s extraordinary heritage and progress.”
It was around this time two years ago when The Washington Post reported that the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery accepted a $650,000 contribution from the Republican’s Save America PAC to fund the official portraits of Donald and Melania Trump.
If the institution hoped that the arrangement might generate some goodwill, those hopes have apparently been dashed.
As part of the new executive order, the president also directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to restore federal parks and monuments that perpetuate a version of history that the White House considers “false.”
Who’ll decide which historical claims are deemed accurate? The order didn’t say that, either, though it’s difficult to be optimistic.
It comes on the heels of Trump’s recent takeover of the Kennedy Center, part of which included his desire to see the arts institution put on productions in line with cultural vision.
Perhaps the president can expedite matters by creating some kind committee to examine content he considers un-American?
The title on the White House’s order said the directive is intended to restore “sanity to American history.” Given the circumstances, “sanity” is not the first word that comes to mind.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Trump orders elimination of 'anti-American ideology' from Smithsonian institutions
David Mouriquand
Fri, March 28, 2025
Trump issues executive order targeting ‘woke’ and ‘anti-American’ culture in US museums
President Donald Trump has revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution - the world’s largest museum, education and research complex - with an executive order targeting funding for programs that advance “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology."
The order, titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History", targets any ideology that he considers "anti-American", in what is his latest attack on culture he deems too liberal, “woke”, and out of step with conservative sensibilities.
Trump claimed there has been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth," adding that it casts the “founding principles” of the United States in a “negative light.”
The order he signed behind closed doors puts Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents, in charge of overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution, including its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
The Smithsonian museums offer free entry to up to 30 million visitors each year.
People wait in line to enter the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Cultural on the National Mall in Washington - AP Photo
Under Trump’s order, Vance will also work with the White House budget office to make sure future funding for the Smithsonian Institution isn’t spent on programs that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy.”
AFP
Thu, March 27, 2025
Trump's effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark (Annabelle GORDON)Annabelle GORDON/AFP/AFPMore
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to remove "improper ideology" from the famed Smithsonian Museums -- and the National Zoo -- expanding his conservative clampdown on cultural institutions.
Trump, who has sought to root out what he called "woke" culture since returning to power in January, accused the Smithsonian of trying to rewrite American history on issues of race and gender.
His order puts hardline Vice President JD Vance in charge of efforts to carry out the order at the Smithsonian's museums, educations and research centers.
Trump said this should include a drive to "remove improper ideology from such properties."
The Smithsonian operates 21 internationally renowned museums and galleries, mainly in and around Washington, dedicated to art, science, space and American history.
They include the National Zoo in the US capital, which recently welcomed two giant pandas from China, debuting them to the public just days after Trump's inauguration for a second term.
The presidential order -- titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" -- targeted a number of examples of what it also called "corrosive ideology."
It said the National Museum of African American History and Culture, one of the newest Smithsonian additions, had described hard work and the nuclear family as "aspects of 'White Culture.'"
Trump also targeted what he said was a plan by the as-yet-unopened American Women's history museum for "celebrating the exploits of male athletes participating in women's sports."
There was no immediate reaction from the Smithsonian.
- 'Safe and beautiful' -
The Smithsonian Institute was founded in the mid-19th century with a donation from a deceased and childless British chemist, James Smithson, who asked in his will for his wealth to be used to create an educational institution in the then-young United States -- a country he had never set foot in.
Trump's wide-ranging 21st century effort to reshape the US government has increasingly extended to cultural issues, where he is seeking to stamp his conservative mark.
The 78-year-old Republican recently took over the chairmanship of the Kennedy Center in Washington, a famed arts venue, after complaining that it was too liberal.
The president has also eyed reforms in governance of the US capital city, which he has repeatedly complained of having high crime and unsightly nuisances such as graffiti.
In a separate order on Thursday titled "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful," Trump directed the creation of an inter-agency task force to increase immigration enforcement and other law enforcement priorities.
It also calls for the development of a "coordinated beautification plan" for the city.
"We will take over our horribly run Washington, DC, and clean up, renovate, and rebuild our capital so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime," Trump said on the campaign trail last year -- a message reposted Thursday on X by the White House.
Washington's approximately 700,000 residents are overwhelmingly Democrats, with the party's candidate Kamala Harris winning over 90 percent of the vote last November.
The city has a unique status in the country as it is not a part of any state. It has no voting representation in Congress -- despite having a population larger than two states.
Though the city now runs its own affairs, Congress -- currently controlled by Republicans -- retains the ability to take back control, something Trump has repeatedly threatened to do.
With that backdrop, city authorities have sought to develop a conciliatory relationship with the president, quickly fulfilling his requests, such as removing some homeless encampments and a "Black Lives Matter" mural.
dk/des/jgc
Maddow Blog | Trump order targets ‘improper’ ideology at the Smithsonian Institution
Steve Benen
Fri, March 28, 2025
The Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C.
As this week got underway, the public learned about an executive order from Donald Trump that targeted a series of government agencies to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” Included on the list was the Institute of Museum and Library Services — an independent agency described by The New York Times as “the federal government’s main source of support for the nation’s libraries, museums and archives.”
As the week neared its end, one specific museum — by some measures, the nation’s most famous — was apparently on the president’s mind. NBC News reported:
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday taking aim at the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers. Trump directed Vice President JD Vance to eliminate “improper, divisive, or anti-American” ideology from programs at the Smithsonian Institution, which receives federal funding.
The same order, among other things, accused the Biden administration of using the Smithsonian to advance what the Republican president described as a “corrosive” ideology.
How does the White House define words such as “improper”, “divisive,” “anti-American” or “corrosive” in an ideological context? The order didn’t say. Presumably, Trump knows it when he sees it.
He went on to characterize the Smithsonian as an institution that was “once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement” — before it fell victim to a nefarious ideology that Trump considers “divisive.”
As part of the same directive, Vance — a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents — will be responsible for identifying and appointing Smithsonian board members who will commit to “advancing the celebration of America’s extraordinary heritage and progress.”
It was around this time two years ago when The Washington Post reported that the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery accepted a $650,000 contribution from the Republican’s Save America PAC to fund the official portraits of Donald and Melania Trump.
If the institution hoped that the arrangement might generate some goodwill, those hopes have apparently been dashed.
As part of the new executive order, the president also directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to restore federal parks and monuments that perpetuate a version of history that the White House considers “false.”
Who’ll decide which historical claims are deemed accurate? The order didn’t say that, either, though it’s difficult to be optimistic.
It comes on the heels of Trump’s recent takeover of the Kennedy Center, part of which included his desire to see the arts institution put on productions in line with cultural vision.
Perhaps the president can expedite matters by creating some kind committee to examine content he considers un-American?
The title on the White House’s order said the directive is intended to restore “sanity to American history.” Given the circumstances, “sanity” is not the first word that comes to mind.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Trump orders elimination of 'anti-American ideology' from Smithsonian institutions
James Oliphant, Steve Holland
Thu, March 27, 2025
FILE PHOTO: Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum reopens to the public in Washington
(Reuters) -President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered that "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology" be removed from the Smithsonian Institution, the vast museum and research complex that is a premier exhibition space for U.S. history and culture.
The Republican president, in an executive order, directed that Vice President JD Vance undertake the action.
The order also directs the Interior Department to restore federal parks, monuments and memorials that have been “removed or changed in the last years to perpetuate a false revision of history.”
The order, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” is vague about what the president views as anti-American ideology. But it suggests Trump is seeking to purge elements of what conservatives view as a revisionist history of the United States that places systemic racism at the heart of its narrative.
The order singles out the National Museum of African American History and Culture as problematic, claiming that it informs visitors that “hard work,” “individualism” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”
The order also asserts the American Women’s History Museum plans to celebrate male athletes participating in women’s sports.
The White House did not elaborate on the order, and neither the Smithsonian nor the African-American History museum responded to requests for comment.
The Smithsonian spans 21 museums, most of them in the nation's capital lining the mall from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument, and including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The Smithsonian, whose website says it is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, also encompasses 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
The order is in line with the Trump administration’s efforts to do away with diversity and inclusion programs in government, universities and corporations.
Vance is a member of the Smithsonian's Board of Regents.
According to Trump's order, the Democratic Biden administration “pushed a divisive ideology that reconstrued America’s promotion of liberty as fundamentally flawed, inflecting revered institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks with false narratives.”
Trump earlier this year made himself chairman of the Kennedy Center in Washington, indicating that he wants to leave his mark on U.S. arts and culture as part of his presidency.
Trump has been a strident critic of renaming or removing Confederate statues and monuments. Earlier this year, he restored two U.S. Army bases to their former names of Fort Benning and Fort Bragg despite a federal law that prohibits honoring generals who fought for the South during the Civil War. The administration says the names honor different individuals, all former soldiers.
In 2017, Trump defended white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, who protested the city’s decision to remove a statue of the confederate commander Robert E. Lee. At the time, he said there were “very fine people of both sides” of the fight, sparking widespread outrage.
(Reporting by James Oliphant; Additional reporting by Steve Holland and Ryan Patrick Jones; Editing by Leslie Adler and Ross Colvin)
Trump issues executive order targeting ‘woke’ and ‘anti-American’ culture in US museums
Thu, March 27, 2025
FILE PHOTO: Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum reopens to the public in Washington
(Reuters) -President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered that "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology" be removed from the Smithsonian Institution, the vast museum and research complex that is a premier exhibition space for U.S. history and culture.
The Republican president, in an executive order, directed that Vice President JD Vance undertake the action.
The order also directs the Interior Department to restore federal parks, monuments and memorials that have been “removed or changed in the last years to perpetuate a false revision of history.”
The order, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” is vague about what the president views as anti-American ideology. But it suggests Trump is seeking to purge elements of what conservatives view as a revisionist history of the United States that places systemic racism at the heart of its narrative.
The order singles out the National Museum of African American History and Culture as problematic, claiming that it informs visitors that “hard work,” “individualism” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”
The order also asserts the American Women’s History Museum plans to celebrate male athletes participating in women’s sports.
The White House did not elaborate on the order, and neither the Smithsonian nor the African-American History museum responded to requests for comment.
The Smithsonian spans 21 museums, most of them in the nation's capital lining the mall from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument, and including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The Smithsonian, whose website says it is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, also encompasses 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
The order is in line with the Trump administration’s efforts to do away with diversity and inclusion programs in government, universities and corporations.
Vance is a member of the Smithsonian's Board of Regents.
According to Trump's order, the Democratic Biden administration “pushed a divisive ideology that reconstrued America’s promotion of liberty as fundamentally flawed, inflecting revered institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks with false narratives.”
Trump earlier this year made himself chairman of the Kennedy Center in Washington, indicating that he wants to leave his mark on U.S. arts and culture as part of his presidency.
Trump has been a strident critic of renaming or removing Confederate statues and monuments. Earlier this year, he restored two U.S. Army bases to their former names of Fort Benning and Fort Bragg despite a federal law that prohibits honoring generals who fought for the South during the Civil War. The administration says the names honor different individuals, all former soldiers.
In 2017, Trump defended white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, who protested the city’s decision to remove a statue of the confederate commander Robert E. Lee. At the time, he said there were “very fine people of both sides” of the fight, sparking widespread outrage.
(Reporting by James Oliphant; Additional reporting by Steve Holland and Ryan Patrick Jones; Editing by Leslie Adler and Ross Colvin)
Trump issues executive order targeting ‘woke’ and ‘anti-American’ culture in US museums
David Mouriquand
Fri, March 28, 2025
EURONEWS
Trump issues executive order targeting ‘woke’ and ‘anti-American’ culture in US museums
President Donald Trump has revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution - the world’s largest museum, education and research complex - with an executive order targeting funding for programs that advance “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology."
The order, titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History", targets any ideology that he considers "anti-American", in what is his latest attack on culture he deems too liberal, “woke”, and out of step with conservative sensibilities.
Trump claimed there has been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth," adding that it casts the “founding principles” of the United States in a “negative light.”
The order he signed behind closed doors puts Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents, in charge of overseeing efforts to “remove improper ideology” from all areas of the institution, including its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
The Smithsonian museums offer free entry to up to 30 million visitors each year.
People wait in line to enter the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Cultural on the National Mall in Washington - AP Photo
Under Trump’s order, Vance will also work with the White House budget office to make sure future funding for the Smithsonian Institution isn’t spent on programs that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy.”
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