In the midst of an unrelenting wave of executive orders and political upheaval, the cultural landscape of the U.S. is facing an unprecedented assault.
President Trump’s latest executive order, aimed at eliminating so-called “divisive” and “anti-American” content from the Smithsonian Institution, exemplifies a far-reaching effort to manipulate the cultural fabric and rewrite the history of the nation.
Cloaked in the rhetoric of combatting the illusive “wokeness,” this directive serves as yet another attempt to reshape American identity while erasing uncomfortable truths from the past.
This agenda first manifested itself in Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center. On Feb. 7, he removed longstanding chairman David Rubenstein, appointing himself as the board’s leader. What had once been a nonpartisan institution dedicated to the arts is now under the direct control of a president eager to impose his ideological vision, dictating artistic priorities at one of the nation’s most esteemed cultural landmarks.
Trump’s interference did not stop there. Shortly after his Kennedy Center proclamation, Trump gutted key personnel in charge of the General Services Administration’s Fine Arts program, endangering one of the nation’s oldest and largest public arts collection. He also issued an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum of Library Services, the primary agency devoted to supporting public libraries and museums throughout the country.
The broader campaign to rewrite our history has permeated every cultural touchstone of the nation. At the Smithsonian, exhibits that confront the realities of slavery and systemic racism, particularly at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, are reportedly being targeted as content deemed too “divisive.” Meanwhile, efforts to rename military bases, like Fort Benning to Fort Moore, are facing threats of reversal.
Similarly, statues previously removed for glorifying white supremacy are being reinstated with little public discourse. Even institutions like the National Zoo are not exempt from Trump’s attacks, with efforts currently underway to remove so-called “improper ideology.”
Under the first Trump administration, we also saw attempts to create an official preference for classical and traditional architecture when designing federal buildings, and there are signs that Trump wants to reinstate that effort under the pretext of beautifying public buildings.
By defunding these critical institutions and undermining their integrity, Trump is restricting public access to knowledge and historical truths — a tactic eerily reminiscent of authoritarian figures throughout history.
For instance, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco banned the Basque language in a bid to enforce national homogeneity. Adolf Hitler’s regime orchestrated the “synchronization of culture” in Germany, implementing extensive censorship of art, literature, music and the press. Similarly, Mao Zedong’s regime systematically eradicated artistic expressions deemed contrary to Communist ideology. In each of these cases, cultural suppression was used as a tool to uplift propaganda and consolidate power.
Today’s cultural purge is unfolding against the backdrop of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary which Trump will use as a pretext for a sanitized retelling of the past. Rather than fostering an inclusive celebration of American history, the administration is using the America250 initiative as a political tool to push a narrow, revisionist agenda. The danger of such a revision is not just the loss of art and culture; it is the erosion of collective memory.
When history is erroneously rewritten, policies become shaped by falsehoods, education suffers and future generations inherit a dishonest legacy that distorts their national identity. We will no longer know who we really are as a nation and the values that shaped us.
Trump’s actions will have devastating consequences, particularly for underserved populations. Libraries, museums and cultural institutions are not just repositories of history and art; they provide essential services such as early literacy programs, science, technology, engineering and mathematics education initiatives, high-speed internet access and job training resources. Dismantling or defunding these institutions disregards the everyday needs of the millions of Americans who rely on them for learning opportunities, job access and community engagement.
In Southern Nevada, for example, institutions like the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, UNLV and the Neon Museum are integral to our local fabric, relying heavily on federal funding and grants to sustain their operations. These resources support everything from educational programs to community outreach. Without federal funding, many of these programs would cease to exist, leaving our residents without access to essential services and opportunities that directly impact their quality of life.
So what can be done? In Congress, I have taken the lead in pushing back against these attacks, advocating for sustained federal support for General Services Administration’s arts programs and the Institute of Museum of Library Services. I have long advocated for robust federal funding for cultural institutions, and it has been encouraging to see my Democratic colleagues’ overwhelming support for these initiatives.
Most importantly, the public should remain engaged, using their voices and vote to protect the integrity of the nation’s cultural heritage. History has shown what happens when individuals in power have unchecked influence on the culture. We must continue to stand up to ensure that the U.S. remains a country that honors diverse perspectives, recognizes the full complexity of its past, and upholds the arts as a form of unfettered expression in order to preserve and tell our story to future generations.
Dina Titus represents Nevada’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.