Vice President  JD Vance has been tapped to restore traditional American values to the Smithsonian Institution under President Trump’s bold new executive order aimed at eliminating divisive ideology from federal museums.

Signed on Thursday, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” charges Vance with ] Vance with removing “improper ideology” from all 21 Smithsonian properties through his position on the Board of Regents. The order specifically instructs Vance to work with Congress to prohibit funding for exhibits that “degrade shared American values” or “divide Americans based on race.”

Some Smithsonian exhibits already being targeted include “The Shape of Power,” which argues America maintains “systems of power” through race. while another will review the African American Museum’s controversial framing of “hard work” and “the nuclear family” as elements of “White culture.” Although not yet opened, the Smithsonian’s new American Women’s History Museum faces similar scrutiny, with Trump alleging it plans to “recognize men as women.”

Beyond museum exhibits, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has also been directed to reverse changes to federal properties, parks and monuments that have allegedly been altered to “perpetuate a false revision of history” over the past five years. This includes planned “restorations and improvements” to Philadelphia’s Independence Hall ahead of America’s 250th anniversary on July 4th, 2026.

During the campaign, Trump pledged to fight against “woke” ideology across all parts of American society. Over two-thirds of the country’s 433 national park sites are devoted to the preservation and interpretation of U.S. history and culture. Overseen by The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and boasting nearly 1.9 million members and supporters, more than 26,000 historic structures and approximately 185 million historical artifacts have been meticulously preserved since the nation’s founding in 1776.

“Across the country, our national parks protect vital American history, from the birthplaces of American presidents to the birthplaces of our democracy. Our parks tell stories from the civil rights movement, the Civil War, and beyond,” says NPCA senior director Alan Spears.

“While the exact impacts of that review are not yet clear, we know that the administration has already erased LGBTQ history from web content and historic sites managed by the National Park Service. Every American who cares about our country’s history should be worried about what people, places, and themes disappear next.”