President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Thursday aimed at reversing what he calls “ideological corruption” at America’s premier cultural institutions — starting with the Smithsonian — and ordering the restoration of public monuments and statues removed over the past five years.

The order, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” asserts that the Smithsonian Institution has been overtaken by a “divisive, race-centered ideology” that distorts the nation’s past and undermines confidence in American values.

“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 reads. “This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”

Vice President JD Vance, a member of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, has been tapped to oversee the cleanup effort, which includes scrubbing exhibits, programs, and publications of what the administration calls “improper ideology.” Trump said museums in the nation’s capital should inspire pride, not shame, and reflect the nation’s “extraordinary heritage” and “unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing.”

As part of the directive, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has been ordered to review public monuments, statues, and memorials that were taken down in the past five years — and begin restoring any that were “improperly removed.” A White House fact sheet says many of those removals were part of an intentional campaign to “perpetuate a false revision of history” and “disparage certain historical figures.”

Democrats quickly erupted. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas accused Trump of trying to rewrite history, posting: “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.”

Critics have pointed out the irony, given that Crockett’s party spent the last several years tearing down statues of Founding Fathers and demanding the removal of memorials to figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Trump’s order also marks his second major move in recent weeks to reclaim cultural territory. He previously overhauled the Kennedy Center’s leadership and mission, replacing members of the board and appointing what one official described as “a world leader” as the new chairman.

The executive order takes direct aim at controversial moves by the Smithsonian in recent years. In 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture omitted Justice Clarence Thomas from its inaugural exhibits, only mentioning him briefly in a section about Anita Hill. The omission sparked backlash until the museum later added Thomas to an exhibit alongside Justice Thurgood Marshall.

More recently, the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Museum has promoted transgender activists like Sylvia Rivera, a biological male born Ray Rivera, as part of its women’s rights programming. And in the wake of the January 6 Capitol protest, the institution curated artifacts from the event — including the suit worn by Rep. Andy Kim, who was photographed cleaning up litter afterward.

“President Trump aims to ensure that the Smithsonian is an institution that sparks children’s imagination, celebrates American history and ingenuity, serves as a symbol to the world of American greatness, and makes America proud,” the White House said.

The administration has ordered all changes to be completed by July 4, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.