Trump reshapes museums, architecture, media and arts agencies in five-front campaign

In the first year of his second term, President Trump has pushed a broad campaign to reshape what Americans see and hear, targeting national museums, federal architecture, broadcast regulation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Kennedy Center.

At the Smithsonian the White House issued an executive order directing Vice President J.D. Vance and a White House adviser to search for “improper ideology,” demanded internal content and planning documents for eight museums and threatened the loss of federal funds; the institution has closed its diversity office and removed wall text about Mr.

Trump’s impeachments, while the Smithsonian has disputed White House jurisdiction. On architecture, Mr. Trump revived an initiative in an order titled “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,” demolished the White House’s East Wing to build a larger classical ballroom, removed and replaced members of the Commission of Fine Arts, and proposed a triumphal arch for Washington.

The Federal Communications Commission under Mr. Trump has opened investigations into major broadcasters, including NPR, pressed corporations to retreat from diversity programs and signaled it may use licensing power against stations it deems biased. The F.C.C.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, Smithsonian, Federal Communications Commission, Nea, Neh