Trump Signs Executive Order Directing JD Vance to Remove ‘Improper Ideology’ from the National Zoo, Other Institutions
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing Vice President JD Vance to remove “improper ideology” from institutions such as the National Zoo.
“Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology,” wrote Trump in his executive order. “This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
He continued:
It is the policy of my Administration to restore Federal sites dedicated to history, including parks and museums, to solemn and uplifting public monuments that remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing. 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.
President Trump went on to direct Vice President Vance to “work to effectuate the policies of this order through his role on the Smithsonian Board of Regents with respect to the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo, including by seeking to remove improper ideology from such properties, and shall recommend to the President any additional actions necessary to fully effectuate such policies.”
The president also announced that his administration would work to prohibit spending on “exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy,” and prohibit the American Women’s History Museum from recognizing transgender people “as women in any respect.”
Vance was appointed to the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents earlier this year after being sworn in as vice president of the United States.
