Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) expressed strong support for President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at addressing what he and others describe as ideological bias at the Smithsonian Institution. Speaking on "Fox & Friends Weekend" on July 25, 2026, Gill applauded the directive to place warning signs along National Park Service walkways outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
Gill criticized the museum’s leadership for promoting left-wing activism rather than an objective presentation of American history. He called for museum officials to be fired due to what he termed left-wing influence at the institution. "This is the first time, I think, that we've had a president who takes this stuff seriously," Gill said, adding that previous administrations allowed "the left to continue their long march through the institutions and continue shoving leftism down our throats and down the throats of our children."
The executive order mandates signage notifying visitors that museum exhibits should be renovated consistent with findings in a recent report and directs visitors to resources for accurate information about America's history. It also calls for temporary exhibits or signage to "correct inaccurate information presented in the Museum," citing the Smithsonian’s alleged failure to properly commemorate America’s founding history during its 250th anniversary year.
Gill emphasized the need for an "actual objective telling of American history," rejecting narratives that group people by race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or immigration status. In the executive order, Trump stated that the museum's leadership "does not present American history as a shared national inheritance to be taught and celebrated, but instead views American history as a 'prime tool' to advance ideas of social justice and the radical transformation of our society."
Gill’s comments followed his participation in the House Oversight and Government Reform Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee hearing titled "Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian's Efforts to Reshape the Past" held on July 21, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Loading comments.