The President signed Executive Order 14416 on July 24, 2026, directing several agencies to address issues identified in a recent Domestic Policy Council report about the Smithsonian Institution. The document, published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2026, states that the administration seeks to restore trust in the institution and its National Museum of American History.
The order follows a March 27, 2025, directive, Executive Order 14253. It references a Domestic Policy Council report titled “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage.” The order states that the report demonstrates Smithsonian leadership views American history as a “prime tool” to advance ideas of social justice and radical transformation. The order also says the report overwhelmingly demonstrates that current leadership of both the Smithsonian Institution and the museum “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story with honesty and gratitude.”
The order directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the National Park Service director and in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, to install temporary signage on public walkways near the museum. This signage will inform visitors of the report’s findings, notify them that the exhibits should be renovated consistent with the findings in the report, and direct them to locations and resources for accurate information regarding America’s history.
The order states that the museum has failed to appropriately honor the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence during the nation’s 250th anniversary year. Consequently, it directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the National Park Service director and coordinating with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, to install temporary exhibits or signage correcting inaccurate information presented in the museum.
The Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator of General Services, and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy are instructed to identify and utilize available authorities to promote the order’s policy and restore trust, including any mechanisms to encourage correction of the issues. The order notes that it shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.