White House Report Details Ideological Capture at Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Accusing Leadership of Prioritizing Activism Over Education

A new report from the White House Domestic Policy Council charges that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History has undergone ideological capture under its current leadership, transforming the federally funded institution from a steward of America’s shared heritage into a vehicle for political activism. The 162-page document, titled “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage,” was released quietly around July 4, 2026, as the nation marked the semiquincentennial of independence. It was prepared in response to President Trump’s March 27, 2025, executive order directing the removal of “revisionist” and divisive ideological materials from federally supported historical sites and museums.

The report concludes that museum leadership has explicitly adopted a framework that treats American history not as a unifying national inheritance but as a political instrument to divide and discourage citizens. It singles out Director Anthea Hartig, who has led the museum since 2019, for recasting its mission around social justice goals. “Our central finding is not that the Museum has simply added overlooked stories, corrected perceived errors, or broadened its historical scope,” the council wrote. “Rather, it is that Museum leadership has explicitly adopted an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens.”

The original congressional intent for the museum, approved in 1955, was to present “a stimulating permanent exposition that commemorates our heritage of freedom and highlights the basic elements of our way of life.” Under Hartig, the mission statement shifted from exploring “the infinite richness and complexity of American history” through collections and research to “Empowering people to create a more just and compassionate future by exploring, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past.” Hartig has stated publicly that the change helps “get out of the ‘America First’ mentality” and that history serves as a “prime tool of social justice.” She has also described the need to “reframe the traditional, celebratory narrative of U.S. history” and suggested the profession must “figure out how we’re going to problematize the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026,” adding that “loving America is very complicated.”

The report highlights the absence of any major exhibit dedicated to the American founding era, the Founding Fathers, the Continental Congress, the Pilgrims, the Puritans, or key moments of the Revolution. When founders appear, the emphasis often falls on their flaws and participation in slavery rather than their contributions to principles that advanced liberty, including the eventual abolition of slavery. No special programming marked Independence Day in 2025 or the 250th anniversary in 2026, despite the museum being open. In contrast, the museum hosted extensive Pride Month events in 2025, including performances by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., book signings, and displays of stored objects.

Programming and exhibits have incorporated themes of undocumented organizing and DACA advocacy, including a monarch butterfly display labeled “DACA wings” accompanied by phrases such as “#Here to Fight” and “Undocumented & UNAFRAID,” surrounded by panels on “Raising Citizens,” “Claiming Citizenship,” and “Making Citizens.” The museum participated in the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past” initiative, whose director promoted an “activist stance” to reinforce staff members’ sense of equity and social justice. The report argues these efforts reflect a broader pattern in which research and scholarship are tied directly to advocacy, with staff training materials framing objectivity and individualism as elements of “white supremacy culture.”

The Domestic Policy Council determined that the National Museum of American History “has become subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love.” It further stated that the institution “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.” The Smithsonian Institution responded to related inquiries by affirming its commitment to “nonpartisan and independent scholarship” after more than 180 years of service to the public. The museum itself did not respond to a request for comment on the report.

The findings come amid ongoing Trump administration scrutiny of Smithsonian programming under the 2025 executive order. The report positions the National Museum of American History’s direction as a departure from its statutory purpose of fostering understanding of America’s heritage of freedom and individual dignity, raising questions about the use of taxpayer resources at one of the nation’s most prominent cultural institutions.