Trump’s Dangerous Effort to Rewrite History
IN BRIEF: On March 27, President Donald Trump issued an alarming executive order that promotes pseudo-scientific ideas about race and attacks funding for institutions that preserve and tell the full story of our country’s past. Cloaked in the language of “restoring sanity to American history,” the order is a thinly veiled attempt to rewrite history, dehumanize Black people, erase African American culture, and lend legitimacy to discredited ideas rooted in scientific racism.
WHY IT MATTERS: Of the many problematic messages emerging from this administration, this may be one of the most dangerous. The order repurposes America's cherished museums and monuments into tools of ideological indoctrination — attempting to recast historical truth as partisan propaganda. By obscuring the realities of our past, such as the painful truths about Black people’s lived experiences in the United States, it aims to prevent an honest reckoning with the issues that continue to shape our country today. And it diminishes the legacy of those who have fought to move this nation closer to its ideals.
ZOOM OUT: This order is not just about museums. It echoes the same indoctrination schemes we have seen in some of the darkest, most disturbing chapters of human history. In particular, it bears a chilling resemblance to the tactics of Nazi Germany, where history and cultural institutions were manipulated to serve the fascist goals of the Nazi regime and promote a false narrative of racial purity and superiority.
LDF AT WORK: LDF has been a leading voice in efforts to protect the truth and defend the accurate teaching of American history. Only by facing its history — including its painful parts — can America build an inclusive, multiracial democracy. LDF will continue to speak out, take action, and defend the truth — because this country’s future depends on it.