Smithsonian Director Defends Museum Against Anti-Americanism Claims

Anthea Hartig, director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, defended the museum against allegations of 'anti-Americanism' during a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. Republicans questioned exhibits like 'Girlhood (It’s Complicated),' which included mentions of gender identity.

Hartig testified that Americans visiting the museum see a wide range of U.S. history and find inspiration in its collections. She stated, 'No one told them to,' referring to visitors standing with their hands over their hearts before 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' Hartig also reiterated sentiments expressed previously by Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch, saying that the White House report did not fairly characterize the museum's work.

A White House Domestic Policy Council report accused the museum earlier this month of 'thinly veiled anti-Americanism' and 'extreme political activism.' The hearing was held by the House's Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, chaired by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). According to UPI, President Donald Trump ordered the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to add signage warning visitors about 'ideological' views in some of its displays.

Democrats issued a rebuttal to the White House report, asserting that the Trump administration misreported basic facts and mischaracterized quotes from Hartig. According to PBS, President Donald Trump has engaged in a broad national effort to reshape the stories of America told by cultural institutions controlled or influenced by the federal government.

Hartig responded that the institution 'does not take sides in America's political debates' and described the museum's presentation as an evolution intended to add voices, not erase history. She emphasized that when historians talk about reframing a traditional narrative, they mean adding evidence, voices, and objects earlier tellings left out so more Americans can see themselves reflected in the national story.

Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View, suggested during a panel discussion on Wednesday that the Trump administration is targeting the Smithsonian Institution to avoid paying reparations to descendants of slaves. According to Daily Mail, Hostin stated, 'I think this reflects a broad effort by the Trump administration to reshape the way the nation's history is told, so this country does not have to pay black people for the forced labor and the unpaid labor that built this country.' She further argued that truth and reconciliation regarding slavery are necessary for financial reparations.

Several Democrats on the subcommittee agreed with Hostin's sentiments, finding the White House's effort to de-emphasize the effects of slavery offensive. Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) quipped, 'Welcome to the Republicans' White Pride Rally disguised as a congressional hearing,' while Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-New Mexico) introduced her Smithsonian Integrity and Historical Independence Act to prohibit federal officials from interfering in historical interpretation.

The president issued the directive to his administration on Friday, ramping up his longstanding feud with the institution. The executive order calls for signs telling visitors about the White House report and directing them to resources for what he calls 'accurate information regarding America's history.' It also calls for a temporary exhibit that corrects information he deems inaccurate.

The Smithsonian operates outside the executive branch and museum directors report to Secretary Lonnie Bunch, who is subject to oversight from a Board of Regents. The feud with Trump comes after the president also sought to overhaul other cultural pillars at odds with his Republican views. He had himself installed as chairman of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with the aim of overhauling programming, and his handpicked board voted to add his name to the building, only to have a federal judge later order the signs to be removed.