📖 Narrative

"In letters to U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Merkley, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote that a "commitment to public transparency" and "academic honesty" required the administration to advise visitors that "the leadership of the Smithsonian and NMAH have altered the museum's role from accurately and coherently telling America's story to using the museum as a tool to advance personal, radical ideologies." Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, and Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, are the top members of the Senate Appropriations committee, which oversees Smithsonian funding. The signs, which the administration says are temporary, will be placed on National Park Service land and will reflect President Trump's July executive order, called "Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution." The Sept. 3 letter from Burgum outlines several grievances, including that Anthea Hartig, the director of the American History museum, "has stated that history is 'a prime tool of social justice'," and that the museum seeks "to legitimize illegal immigration and open borders.""

Framing: assertive · First seen: 2026-09-17 · Last seen: 2026-09-17 · Spread: 1 articles