Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump administration proposes triumphal arch at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery — The Trump administration is pursuing construction of a triumphal arch at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery. Congressional ranking members from both chambers with jurisdiction over monuments in Washington, D.C., have opposed the project, stating it would "deface one of the most deliberate and historic sightlines in America" and would violate at least three federal laws. The Section 106 review process for the project fell short of legal requirements, including a comment period of only ten days. Revisions to Section 106 would eliminate legal obstacles to the project's construction.
• Lawmakers Oppose Proposed Triumph Arch Project Near Arlington National Cemetery — On June 15, 2026, a group of lawmakers, including Senators Angus King and Martin Heinrich, expressed strong opposition to a proposed triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, citing concerns that the project violates multiple laws and lacks adequate public comment time. They warned that officials proceeding with the project could face legal consequences.

Supporting reports

• White House Office of Administration begins preparations to paint Eisenhower Executive Office Building white — Deputy Assistant to the President Heather Martin filed a declaration on Monday stating that the White House Office of Administration was beginning preparations to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white. The administration is asserting that the White House Office of Administration has taken control of the building from the General Services Administration (GSA), which normally handles federal building maintenance and is subject to the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act review requirements. More than two dozen experts have sued to stop the plan, arguing the paint could irreversibly damage the stone and create ongoing maintenance costs.

Supporting reports

• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation votes to advance revisions to Section 106 of National Historic Preservation Act — On July 25, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, composed of 21 Trump appointees on a 24-member board, voted to move forward with dramatic revisions to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Section 106 currently requires federal agencies to "take into account" the impact of their actions on historic properties and mandates consultation with the public, local, state, and tribal governments. The proposed revisions would eliminate these requirements, allowing federal agencies to proceed with projects affecting historic sites without mandatory public input or review.

Supporting reports

• Trump issues executive order directing Smithsonian reshaping and ideological content removal — President Trump issued an executive order on March 27, 2025, directing Vice President JD Vance to remove what the administration deems "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the Smithsonian Institution's museums, education centers, research facilities, and the National Zoo. The order specifically targets exhibits addressing race and American history, directs the American Women's History Museum to exclude transgender recognition, mandates appointment of new board members aligned with the order's policy, and instructs the Secretary of the Interior to restore Confederate-era statues and memorials removed in the past five years. The order frames these actions as correcting a "concerted and widespread" effort to rewrite U.S. history.
• Trump issued executive order "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" directing federal historic sites to align with administration ideology — On March 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," asserting that the nation's history had been rewritten by ideology rather than fact. The order directed the Secretary of the Interior to review federal monuments, memorials, and statues removed or altered since January 1, 2020, and restore them to ensure they do not "inappropriately disparage Americans" and instead focus on "the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people." The order also targeted the Smithsonian Institution, directing a three-person review team to examine museum exhibitions and ensure they align with the president's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism and remove divisive narratives.
• Trump executive order targets DEI programs at federal cultural institutions — An executive order issued on March 27, 2025, directs federal action against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, with specific targeting of the African American History Museum and the Kennedy Center. The order aims to eliminate or redirect DEI-related funding and operations at these institutions.
• Trump signed executive order directing removal of exhibits and narratives from federal historical sites and museums — President Trump signed Executive Order 14253 on March 27, 2025, directing federal agencies to remove what the order characterizes as "ideological" content from the Smithsonian Institution, Independence National Historical Park, and other Interior Department historical sites. The order instructs the Vice President to work through his Smithsonian Board seat to "remove improper ideology" from exhibits and programs; directs the Secretary of the Interior to reinstate pre-2020 monuments and ensure descriptions do not "inappropriately disparage Americans"; and mandates that future congressional appropriations to the Smithsonian prohibit exhibits that "divide Americans based on race" or conflict with federal policy. The order names specific current exhibits as examples of objectionable content.
• Trump signed Executive Order 14253 directing removal of exhibits and narratives from federal museums and historical sites deemed ideologically divisive, with authority delegated to the Vice President over the Smithsonian Institution. — President Trump signed Executive Order 14253 on March 27, 2025, directing federal agencies to remove exhibits, programs, and historical narratives from museums and monuments that the order characterizes as "divisive" or promoting "ideology" rather than "objective facts." The order specifically targets the Smithsonian Institution, directing the Vice President to work through his role on the Smithsonian Board of Regents to remove what the order calls "improper ideology." It instructs the Secretary of the Interior to audit and reinstate pre-2020 monuments and ensure all federal historical sites focus on "greatness" and "achievements" rather than narratives the order deems disparaging. Future appropriations are to be conditioned on prohibiting exhibits that "divide Americans based on race" or are "inconsistent with Federal law and policy."
• Trump issues executive order directing federal agencies to remove "ideological" content from Smithsonian Institution and federal historical sites — President Trump signed an executive order on March 27, 2025, directing the Vice President, OMB Director, and Secretary of the Interior to remove what the order characterizes as "divisive, race-centered ideology" from the Smithsonian Institution, Independence National Historical Park, and other federal historical sites. The order mandates restoration of pre-2020 monuments and memorials, prohibits future federal funding for exhibits deemed to "degrade shared American values" or "divide Americans based on race," and requires the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum to exclude recognition of transgender athletes. The order frames this as restoring "truth" and "sanity" to American history.
• White House issued fact sheet promoting executive order on Smithsonian and federal historical sites — The White House published a fact sheet on March 27, 2025, describing an executive order signed by President Trump directing the Vice President to eliminate what the order characterizes as "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the Smithsonian Institution and its museums. The order directs the Secretary of the Interior to restore federal parks, monuments, and memorials altered in the prior five years, and instructs Congress to condition future Smithsonian appropriations on prohibiting exhibits that "degrade shared American values" or "divide Americans by race." The fact sheet asserts that prior administrations promoted "divisive ideology" and cites specific Smithsonian exhibits as examples.
• Trump administration issues executive order targeting Smithsonian Institution exhibits on race and American history — On Thursday, March 28, 2025, the Trump administration announced an executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" that orders a large reshaping of the Smithsonian Institution to eliminate what Trump described as "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology." The order specifically criticized the Smithsonian American Art Museum's exhibit "The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture" and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Vice President JD Vance was ordered to "remove improper ideology" from Smithsonian museums and educational centers. Artists, academics, and civil rights figures have condemned the order as an attempt to censor and erase Black history and diverse perspectives from public institutions.
• Trump signs executive order on American history curriculum — Trump signed an executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" directing Vice President J.D. Vance, in his capacity as a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to eliminate "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from the Smithsonian Institution, its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo. The order represents an attempt to reshape how Americans understand and learn their history.
• Trump signs executive order suspending security clearances for law firms representing Democratic clients — Trump signed executive orders suspending security clearances for law firms that represent Democratic clients and barring the federal government from hiring employees from those firms. The orders target legal representation based on client political affiliation, creating a mechanism to exclude attorneys from federal employment based on their professional representation.
• Trump administration challenges judges and undermines judicial credibility — The Trump administration has challenged judges who have ruled against Trump and worked to destroy public faith in the courts. The effort represents a systematic campaign to delegitimize judicial authority when it conflicts with administration preferences.