Sunny Hostin, a co-host on ABC's "The View," suggested Wednesday that the Trump administration's criticism of the Smithsonian Institution is an effort to avoid paying reparations to the descendants of enslaved people.
Hostin made the claim during a discussion on Capitol Hill hearings concerning a White House report that accused the National Museum of American History of promoting "ideological capture" and "extreme political activism."
"I think the real reason behind this is about financial repair to the descendants of the enslaved Africans," Hostin stated. When pressed for clarification by co-host Whoopi Goldberg, Hostin responded, "reparations."
"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," Hostin explained. She emphasized the need for "financial repair" for aggrieved groups, particularly African Americans, citing the lack of truth and reconciliation commissions for slavery compared to those for interned Japanese Americans, the Holocaust, and Native Americans.
Hostin referenced the UN General Assembly's vote declaring the transatlantic slave trade a "crime against humanity," noting that the U.S. voted against it. She cited remarks from Ambassador Dan Negrea, who stated that the U.S. "does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred." Hostin interpreted this as a financial motive to avoid paying African Americans what she believes is due.
The discussion occurred as Dr. Anthea Hartig, director of the National Museum of American History, faced questioning from the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency. The White House report, released July 4, specifically named Hartig over 200 times and criticized her comment that history is a "prime tool of social justice."
Representative Tim Burchett, the subcommittee's Republican chairman, echoed the White House's concerns, stating the Smithsonian had become "infected by a woke ideology." He specifically cited exhibits like "Entertainment Nation" and "Girlhood (It's complicated)," questioning the appropriateness of their content, including discussions of gender identity and sexual themes, for children.
Hartig defended the museum's work, asserting that the White House report did not accurately characterize its efforts. She argued that reframing traditional narratives involves adding missing voices and objects to reflect more Americans, not erasing history. She pointed to exhibits honoring the Declaration of Independence and Abraham Lincoln's top hat as evidence of the museum's patriotism, while acknowledging the need to also tell the truth about the country's shortcomings.
Supporters of Hartig's museum defended its approach. Yale Professor David Blight described the White House report as a "declaration of political war." House Democrats released a rebuttal, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to "control and contort the historical record" and undermine trusted institutions like museums.
Conversely, Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, criticized Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, claiming he had "put the Smithsonian's reputation at serious risk" by using the institution as a "tool of societal transformation" and promoting "lessons about American wickedness."
During the hearing, Democrat Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico introduced the Smithsonian Integrity and Historical Independence Act, aimed at preventing federal interference with the interpretation of national history.
It was revealed during the segment that Hostin's own family history includes slave ownership. On the PBS program "Finding Your Roots" in 2024, Hostin learned that one of her maternal ancestors was involved in the slave trade in colonial Spain and that her third great-grandfather owned enslaved people. Hostin expressed shock at the revelation, acknowledging that "this is how some people made their living, on the backs of others."