Murkowski, Merkley Question Trump Order For Corrective Signs At Smithsonian
On Aug. 7, 2026, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Merkley asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to explain how President Trump's order to add "corrective" signs outside the Smithsonian's American History museum will be implemented.[1]
They sent a bipartisan letter seeking specifics on precedent, costs, timelines and who would compile the "corrective" information, and defended the Smithsonian's roughly 180-year record of presenting objective historical evidence.[1]
President Trump signed Executive Order 14416, "Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution," in late July 2026 directing the Interior Department to place corrective signage on federal land outside the National Museum of American History.[1]
Republican critics in Congress have pointed to specific exhibits, including language on Disney's Steamboat Willie, as examples of what they call politicized or "woke" curation — an argument that helped prompt the executive order and the senators' request for implementation details.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- President Trump signed Executive Order 14416, 'Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution,' in late July 2026 directing Interior to place corrective signage on federal land outside the National Museum of American History.
- On or before August 7, 2026, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Merkley sent a bipartisan letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum seeking details on how the order will be implemented.
- The senators asked about precedent, costs, timelines and who is responsible for compiling the "corrective" information, and defended the Smithsonian's 180-year record of presenting objective historical evidence.
- Republican critics in Congress have pointed to specific exhibits, including language on Disney's 'Steamboat Willie,' as examples of what they call politicized or 'woke' curation.
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