Senator Lisa Murkowski’s Stand on Smithsonian Signage Order

Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska is taking a different position from most Republicans regarding the Smithsonian Institution’s portrayal of American history. She joined Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon in sending a letter to the Trump administration. They are seeking clarity on President Trump’s directive to place “temporary signage” outside the National Museum of American History. Trump accused the museum of presenting history with bias.

In their letter, which they wrote as Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Murkowski and Merkley expressed concerns. They requested more details on how the Department of the Interior would implement Executive Order 14416, titled ‘Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.’

“As Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, we write to express our concern and to request more information regarding the role the Department of the Interior (DOI) will have in implementing Executive Order (EO) 14416, ‘Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution,’” the letter said.

Some Republicans are critical of the Smithsonian, which receives around $1 billion annually from Congress. They believe certain exhibits are politically charged. However, Murkowski challenged this view in her letter, arguing that the Smithsonian has consistently offered objective historical research and education.

“For the past 180 years, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to sharing objective historical evidence through research and education, not political narratives,” Murkowski wrote. “The Smithsonian Institution has worked tirelessly to present a comprehensive narrative of our nation’s amazing history, from its many triumphs to its trials. There is nothing more American than telling our story truthfully,” the senators said.

President Trump signed the executive order at the end of last month, instructing Doug Burgum to use “temporary exhibits or signage on [federally owned] sidewalks, walkways, and land used by the public.” The goal was to correct what they viewed as inaccurate museum information.

Murkowski and Merkley inquired if there is any precedent for using federal land or funds to convey “conflicting information” near another entity’s site. They asked who would gather the information and what the timeline and cost would be.

Examples cited by Republicans included an exhibit that claimed Disney’s “Steamboat Willie” echoed “long-standing traditions of blackface minstrelsy.” Some accused the museum’s curation of being “anti-white” and “woke.” Some House Appropriations Committee conservatives told Fox News Digital they want new conditions on the Smithsonian’s funding to compel changes in controversial exhibits.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.