President Donald Trump is targeting the Smithsonian Institution as part of his latest effort to dismantle prominent resources for arts with Vice President JD Vance leading the efforts. According to CNN, Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to cut funding for the Smithsonian. The executive order states that the government will stop funding “exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy,” according to CNN.

“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,” the order states, per CNN. “This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”

Why is the Smithsonian Institution significant?

The Smithsonian Institution, which features 21 museums and the National Zoo, is the largest museum complex in the world. About 17 million people visited the famous site in 2024, per the museum’s website. Trump specifically mentioned the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Smithsonian American Art Museum as he aims to eliminate the historic resources. When Trump visited the museum in 2017 shortly after its opening, he vowed to unite a “divided country,” as well as do everything he can to “continue that promise of freedom for African Americans and for every American.”

What are the orders Trump has signed to cut spending for arts?

Trump’s latest executive order comes after he signed another order in February 2025 to target the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The President dismantled the board of trustees and promised to eliminate drag shows and other programs he doesn’t support at the institution. Trump has signed an order against the Institution of Museum and Library Services, as well as several other government entities.

“First Trump removes any reference of diversity from the present — now he’s trying to remove it from our history. Let me be PERFECTLY clear— you cannot erase our past and you cannot stop us from fulfilling our future,” Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas tweeted on Thursday.

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