President Donald Trump’s “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution” executive order, which requires disclaimer signs characterizing museum exhibits as “inaccurate” and anti-American, closely mirrors claims made by David Barton, a Christian nationalist activist and self-described historian, according to Popular Information’s Judd Legum.
“Despite having no degree in history, David Barton calls himself a historian,” Legum explained.
Historians repeatedly reject his work, and his 2012 Jefferson book was pulled from shelves after scholars claimed it contained distortions and false information, Politico reported.
Trump’s order and Barton’s claims share similar themes according to Legum: downplaying slavery’s severity, rehabilitating Christopher Columbus as an American hero, and asserting Christianity’s influence on the founding fathers.
Additionally, Legum referenced the “WallBuilders Show,” a daily podcast by Tim Barton, David Barton & Rick Green. Specifically, he noted an episode in which the Bartons claim the White House invited them to be active participants in identifying “problematic” exhibits.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) called the executive order “one of the dumbest and most bizarre” ever issued.
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