Donald Trump has signed an executive order to purge “anti-American” and “race-centred” content from Smithsonian exhibits, giving Vice President JD Vance the power to axe anything insufficiently patriotic. The order targets race, gender, and history narratives—including reinstating Confederate statues and criticising transgender inclusion in women’s museums. The Smithsonian’s diversity office has already been shuttered, and historians are appalled. The administration insists it’s about “truth and sanity”; critics call it historical censorship with a MAGA filter. Expect legal scraps, political theatre, and some very nervous curators.
Word count: 85.