Of course, former President Donald Trump is already hoping to steal some of the thunder with his own version of American history. He’s looking ahead to the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026. Trump is doing the opening salvos of a multi-year campaign to retell the story of the country’s past. Historians are aghast, afraid that his work will further rewrite history to create alternative facts.
In a defiant retort, Trump has ordered up a “1776 report.” Like singer Sam Cooke’s signature lyrical style, this national effort is to counteract the teachings of systemic racism and critical race theory, wind in the willows. He frankly confessed to his lack of historical knowledge about place and person. He jokingly told me that his sense of history begins with John F. Kennedy. This self-awareness may have grounded him, but it hasn’t stopped him from seeking a bold transformational vision that will reshape America’s trajectory.
Trump’s ambitious plan includes the creation of 250 life-size sculptures of notable figures from America’s past. Certainly he envisions this project to be a lively popular celebration of that American history. It will be the most visible display of his presidency to boot. Almost universally, critics will tell you that this new initiative mainly gives Trump a platform to self-promote. They think it does not do justice to the multifaceted nature of the country’s past.
To make his vision even more concrete, Trump signed an executive order creating a federal “patriotic education” program. This campaign is intended to advance a narrow, ideological vision of American history that he thinks will best propagate patriotic sentiments among the citizenry. Trump called for a radical makeover of how the nation’s past is presented in federally funded museums and national parks, prioritizing a narrative that aligns with his political ideology.
Historians have decried Trump’s efforts to rewrite the story of American history. They fear that his presidency will produce an “abuse of history.” This goes hand in hand with their view of an “autocratic playbook.” As Jonathan Alter, the eminent political historian put it on MSNBC, the bottom line is he’s ignorant of economic history, he’s ignorant of political history. And his plan for the 250 is to make it a ribbon of highway on which to honor and celebrate him.
Historian Douglas Brinkley shared insights from discussions with Trump, noting, “It startled me, because when you talk to politicians, they even make up books. He just kind of shrugged it off and told me that he was a visual guy.” Brinkley stressed on our call that Trump’s historical vision seems extremely shallow and one-dimensional.
Key to Trump’s whole grievance narrative is the premise that American history has been distorted. He stated, “This project rewrites American history to teach our children that we were founded on the principle of oppression, not freedom.” That’s because his supporters gladly swallow such ridiculous claims, lapping them up with enjoyment. Many historians are scared because they say that this view ignores the nuances of the nation’s birth.
Far from normal and in an ominous precedent, now former president Trump chairs the White House task force 250. He is currently leading efforts to reimagine America’s historic narrative for our country’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. He articulated hopes that this commemoration would serve as a “great commemoration” to “celebrate America’s glorious past.” As historians such as Heather Cox Richardson have cautioned, these attempts are insidious. They argue that these kinds of efforts are not effective at addressing the complicated and tangled roots of American history.
Richardson further illuminated the complex ways that our multicultural society contributed to the building of the United States. He was the first to point out that while this story is one of extraordinary success, it is replete with mistakes and catastrophe. This perspective highlights the importance of an extensive narrative of our history, one that celebrates progress but acknowledges shortcomings.
Further, danger stems from Trump’s stated desire to rank himself among America’s most revered presidents. In fact, he dreamt of one day having his own name carved on Mount Rushmore. This proposal has led to a flurry of mockery and sober criticism from the public. Johann Neem, another historian, remarked on this aspiration: “Any continuity between the actual political meaning of the revolution and what Trump is doing to our constitution is false.”
As with all of Trump’s efforts, historians are already questioning what it will mean if his imagined American History Revisionism comes to pass. Moreover, they are concerned that these initiatives would risk painting a sanitized picture of what took place. This risks erasing essential truths and lessons learned from our country’s history.