White House Accuses Smithsonian of Political Activism

The White House released a scathing report on Independence Day, accusing the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History of extreme political activism. The report, titled 'Saving America's Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage,' claims that the museum no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance but rather as a political instrument to divide and dispirit citizens.

The report, authored by the White House Domestic Policy Council and led by Vince Haley, criticizes the museum for its displays connecting the Founding Fathers with slavery, endorsing illegal immigration, advocating transgender issues, and focusing on Christianity as an instrument of conquest. According to multiple reports, it also accuses the museum of trying to 'indoctrinate' teachers and students through its exhibitions, programming, and teaching resources.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III defended the institution in a memo to staffers, stating that the report is not a fair characterization of the museum's work. 'While there will always be room for improvement, this report is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History,' Bunch wrote. He emphasized the Smithsonian's commitment to scholarship, accuracy, nonpartisanship, independence, and integrity.

The Organization of American Historians rejected claims made in the 162-page White House report, stating it is an example of executive branch overreach seeking to coerce Smithsonian leadership to shape its presentation of U.S. history to serve the administration's political agenda.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year targeting the Smithsonian and calling for the removal of 'anti-American ideology' from the museum complex, a premier exhibition space for U.S. history and culture. The report alleged that what it called the museum's ideological capture has moved it toward extreme political activism.

The Smithsonian's spokeswoman Julissa Marenco responded that the institution has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship for over 180 years. Critics argue that the administration is attempting to impose its own narrative on historical institutions, while Trump's declarations have led to changes such as dismantling slavery exhibits and restoring Confederate statues.

The report also criticizes Anthea Hartig, the museum's director, for advancing what it describes as an ideological agenda contradictory to the museum's founding purpose. The Smithsonian has been independent of the president and executive branch but derives more than half of its budget from federal sources.