Fact Check: "The U.S. Department of the Interior has instructed the public to report National Park Service employees for making disparaging remarks about Americans or failing to praise natural attributes, as part of an initiative stemming from President Donald Trump's executive order titled 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.'"
What We Know
The claim in question revolves around a directive from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which has indeed instructed the National Park Service (NPS) to solicit public feedback regarding how history and natural features are portrayed at national parks. This initiative is linked to President Donald Trump's executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”, signed on March 27, 2025. The order emphasizes the need to remove content that "inappropriately disparages Americans past or living" and to focus instead on celebrating the achievements of the American people and the beauty of the landscape.
According to a memo leaked to NPR, the NPS is required to post signage at all sites asking visitors to report any content they perceive as negative about Americans or that fails to highlight the grandeur of natural features (NPR). This directive is part of a broader initiative to ensure that public narratives at national parks align with the administration's interpretation of American history and values.
Analysis
The directive from the Department of the Interior, as outlined in the executive order, does indeed encourage public participation in reporting content that may be viewed as disparaging. The memo from NPS comptroller Jessica Bowron explicitly states that all NPS units must post signage encouraging visitors to provide feedback on any information they feel portrays American history or landscapes negatively (NPR, The Hill). This aligns with the executive order's intent to foster a narrative that emphasizes American achievements and the beauty of natural landscapes.
However, the interpretation of this directive as a call to "report National Park Service employees" may be somewhat exaggerated. While the signage does invite public feedback, it does not explicitly instruct the public to report employees for their personal remarks. The focus appears to be on the content presented at the parks rather than the behavior of individual employees. Critics, such as Theresa Pierno from the National Parks Conservation Association, have expressed concerns that this could lead to a form of censorship or "rewriting history" (NPR, Cleveland).
The sources providing this information are credible, with NPR being a well-respected news organization and the executive order being an official government document. However, the framing of the claim may benefit from a more nuanced understanding of the directive's intent and scope.
Conclusion
Verdict: Partially True
The claim that the U.S. Department of the Interior has instructed the public to report National Park Service employees for making disparaging remarks about Americans or failing to praise natural attributes is partially true. While there is a directive encouraging public feedback on negative portrayals of American history and landscapes, the claim simplifies and potentially misrepresents the nature of this initiative. The focus is on content rather than individual employee conduct, and the directive does not explicitly call for reporting employees for their comments.
