Trump Issues Order to Restore Monuments Removed During Biden Era
Declaring that the "age of wokeness is over," President Donald Trump has taken decisive action to reverse policies implemented under former President Joe Biden. On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Truth And Sanity To American History”, which calls for the reinstatement of historical monuments that had been taken down during Biden’s tenure.
The order entrusts Vice President JD Vance, along with Lindsey Halligan, Esq. — the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Staff Secretary — with overseeing the implementation of this initiative.
The document opens with a strong critique of what it describes as a decade-long campaign to distort the nation's past. It states:
“Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.” The order warns that this "revisionist movement" misrepresents the founding ideals of the U.S., branding its historical milestones as "inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed," and claims it has served only to sow division and "foster a sense of national shame."
Trump pointed to specific actions by the previous administration, including controversial training programs at historic landmarks. “At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia... the prior administration sponsored training by an organization that advocates dismantling ‘Western foundations’ and ‘interrogating institutional racism,’” the order notes. It also criticized efforts that suggested park rangers should consider their racial identity when engaging with the public.
Further, the executive order targets recent programming by the Smithsonian Institution, accusing it of promoting a “divisive, race-centered ideology.” It cites exhibits such as “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture,” which assert that “sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism” and frame race as a social construct, stating that “‘Race is a human invention.’”
Trump expressed concern about what he perceives as a distortion of American values, referencing a claim by the National Museum of African American History and Culture that “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are elements of “White culture.” He also criticized the proposed content for the upcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, which he said would highlight “the exploits of male athletes participating in women’s sports.”
Emphasizing his administration’s stance, Trump stated: “It is the policy of my Administration to restore Federal sites dedicated to history... 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.”
He further pledged to return the Smithsonian Institution to its roots, describing it as “a symbol of inspiration and American greatness,” intended to “ignite the imagination of young minds” and “instill pride in the hearts of all Americans.”
The executive order includes provisions to restrict funding for exhibits or programs that “degrade shared American values,” encourage racial division, or “promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.” It also mandates that exhibits at the American Women’s History Museum “celebrate the achievements of women” and explicitly “do not recognize men as women in any respect in the Museum.”