Because the Smithsonian can receive private funding, it is not entirely in trouble-but the long-term effects remain unclear.

The order is vague but suggests Trump is seeking to purge elements of what conservatives view as a revisionist history of the US that places systemic racism at the heart of its narrative.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on the Smithsonian Institution that targets funding to programs that contain what he calls “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”