President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing temporary warning signs outside the Smithsonian‘s National Museum of American History, advising visitors that some exhibits may present a distorted account of America’s past. The order follows a White House report — released, pointedly, on July 4 — questioning whether the museum has drifted from its founding mission and encouraging visitors to consult additional historical resources as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.

Predictably — because it was a Trump executive order — Washington erupted. Critics called it censorship, authoritarianism, and another culture war stunt.