Keith Sonderling Gives Remarks on Behalf of IMLS at Inaugural Freedom Truck Launch

News Releases | January 29, 2026

The inaugural Freedom Truck Mobile Museum was launched at Revolution Academy in Summerfield, North Carolina

WASHINGTON, DC- On January 21, 2026, the inaugural Freedom Truck Mobile Museum was launched at Revolution Academy in Summerfield, North Carolina. Freedom Trucks were made possible by a $14 million grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to Freedom 250.

Keith Sonderling represented IMLS at the launch event, alongside Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation, and Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing.

Mr. Sonderling, who as Acting Director of IMLS signed off on the grant which made these mobile museums possible, and served as a driving force behind this project, said:

"Under President Trump's leadership, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has been reborn. IMLS is now leading a renewed effort to tell American stories through libraries and museums. Today, we empower libraries and museums to share their contributions to the American story."

With five more trucks set to launch in the next two months, these traveling exhibits will tell the story of America's founding across our country, with state-of-the-art interactive exhibits allowing visitors to put themselves into the world of George Washington, Paul Revere, and Benjamin Franklin. These trucks will reach both large cities and remote rural areas, bringing our nation's 250^th birthday celebration to every part of our great country.

IMLS is confident that these trucks will elevate civic education, fittingly mark this special year, and foster a spirt of patriotism in Americans of all ages.

You can listen to Sonderling's remarks hereor read them below:

All right. Well, thanks for having us here today. It is so great to be out of D.C. and be here in North Carolina with so many dignitaries, and really for the students and parents here. This is such an amazing, amazing experience. And I really hope you remember this day for the rest of your life because it's very special. It represents a culmination of hard work, organization, and imagination to make this truck a reality.

First and foremost, it's important to thank President Trump, who made celebrating America's 250th birthday a priority of his administration and reignited a spirit of patriotism across our nation. To Secretary Duffy, who you'll hear after me, for his role in making transportation great. Look, these trucks are going to be traveling across the country, and they're going to be on beautiful roads without potholes because of Secretary Duffy. So when he gets out here, you're going to thank him for that. To the President's Freedom 250 Commission, who not only played a crucial role in making the Freedom Trucks a reality but is creating a nationwide movement uniting Americans to honor our history and build lasting opportunities for the next 250 years. I know you've heard the name Brittany many times. Thank you for everything for making this happen.

To North Carolina's own Spevco. Where's my Spevco crew? What's so special is we were able to visit there this morning before here to see these trucks being made. This is an American company right here in North Carolina, using American parts and American labor, and that's exactly what the President wants and exactly what this administration wants. That American labor and ingenuity made these a reality under a short time frame.

To PragerU and Hillsdale for the unbelievable content you'll see, and most importantly, the Revolutionary Academy-its faculty, staff, parents, and students for hosting us here today.

And to the team of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which I'm also proud to lead, who helped make funding for these trucks possible.

President Trump's vision forced us to think as big as America itself. His administration is now leading a renewed effort to tell the American story through our nation's libraries and museums. The American story is one of faith, freedom, opportunity, innovation, and a daringness to fight for our common destiny. To honor President Trump's commitment to serving the forgotten men and women of our country, with the goal of reaching 20 million citizens, these trucks will provide an accessible history that reacquaints Americans with our rich heritage, inspiring them to contemplate and experience one of the greatest stories of all time: the story of how America came to be the greatest nation in the world.

America has a rich and glorious history. It's a heritage that deserves not just to be studied but to be celebrated. And that's why today these trucks are so special. You heard a little bit about the Freedom Trains of 1976. Like many of the students, I was also not alive in 1976, but we heard about these trains, and the trains birthed the Freedom Trucks of 2026. So, at the 300th anniversary, all the students here will say, "I remember the trucks of 2026; my parents' generation remembers the train." But what was important about the train? It was able to reach the most remote parts of the country and allow the American story the time to be told to very rural communities.

Well, guess what? Trucks can go further than train tracks. And we're going to get these trucks to the most rural parts of America. So, for those American citizens who want to learn and aren't near big cities, they are going to have that same opportunity as everyone else.

We're going to empower communities to tell the American story. It's a story every one of us can be proud of, as our nation is truly the envy of the world. Telling the American story through words, artifacts, and as you see when you go in here, unbelievable virtual experiences. You know, you hear so much about artificial intelligence, but wait till you see how AI is being used in there. This is going to shape our national culture and our citizens' determination to fight for freedom.

Under President Trump's leadership, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has been reborn. IMLS is now leading a renewed effort to tell American stories through libraries and museums. Today, we empower libraries and museums to tell their contributions to the American story. Don't forget, and the students should know this: it was Benjamin Franklin who founded the first lending library in Philadelphia. Everyone know that? Good pop quiz, good trivia? And it was Benjamin Franklin who credited libraries and the knowledge they contain with strengthening the resolve of the colonists in their fight for independence. Since that time, our nation's libraries and museums have been entrusted as keepers of our civilizational inheritance for the benefits of all. Our libraries and museums will now be telling the American story that inspires a love of country-an American story that unites us under a single umbrella of shared history, values, and culture.

And these Freedom Trucks are going to do it. What you see here today brings that vision to life. They'll bring America's spectacular founding to life for people of all ages. They'll stop at libraries and museums across the nation, traveling to the most remote parts of the country. It is our hope that the new generation of Patriots, like everyone here today, is inspired by the Freedom Trucks to renew our connection to the American story, celebrate our history, and uphold American principles for the next 250 years.

As we look ahead to July 4th, there's never been a better time to tell the American story. So, to everyone who's played a part in launching these Freedom Trucks, thank you. Together, we are bringing America's story to life and, for our fellow citizens, laying the foundation for a new era of civic and cultural renewal for the next 250 years.

So, thank you for being here. Thank you to everyone who made these amazing trucks possible. We hope you get to experience it.