The White House has released a comprehensive report accusing the Smithsonian Institution, particularly the National Museum of American History, of promoting "woke activism" and "ideological capture" at the expense of traditional narratives of American greatness and its Founding Fathers.
The 162-page report, titled "Saving America's Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage," asserts that the museum's current leadership and interpretive ideology have shifted from historical education and scholarship toward political activism.
This critique follows an executive order issued by President Trump in March 2025, which targeted funding for programs deemed to advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology." By August of the same year, a directive was issued for an internal review of Smithsonian exhibits and materials to ensure alignment with the goal of celebrating "American exceptionalism."
The report, compiled by the White House Domestic Policy Council, states that the National Museum of American History "cannot be trusted to tell America´s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic." It claims that the museum's mission has been compromised by an "extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country."
Key findings highlighted in the report include a perceived lack of attention to the nation's founding era, the Founding Fathers, and pivotal moments of the American Revolution. Instead, the report alleges, many founders are presented primarily through their association with slavery. Specific criticism is leveled against an exhibition focused on Benjamin Franklin, which the report contends overemphasized his role as a slave owner while downplaying his abolitionist efforts.
The report also takes issue with exhibits that discuss gender fluidity and what it describes as a "crusade against 'whiteness.'" An exhibition titled "Many Voices, One Nation" is criticized for allegedly suggesting that undocumented immigrants are entitled to citizenship and voting rights. Furthermore, the report claims the museum endorses illegal immigration, advocates for transgender issues, and frames Christianity as an "instrument of conquest, exclusion or cultural erasure" rather than acknowledging its constructive role in shaping national freedoms.
Anthea M. Hartig, the director of the National Museum of American History, is specifically targeted in the report. Her past statements, including viewing history as a "prime tool of social justice" and connecting "research and scholarship to activism and advocacy," are cited as evidence of an ideological agenda. The report characterizes her views as those of an activist, not an objective historian, promoting an agenda contrary to the museum's founding purpose of fostering patriotism.
In response, a spokesperson for the Smithsonian Institution stated that the institution has maintained its commitment to "nonpartisan and independent scholarship" for over 180 years. Lonnie Bunch III, the Smithsonian's secretary, has also pushed back against claims of succumbing to "woke ideology," asserting in May that the institution's work is driven by scholarship, not partisanship.
Bunch recently curated an exhibition for America's 250th anniversary, titled "American Aspirations," and told CNN in May that the Trump administration had no influence on his selections. He stated, "My goal is that history is driven by scholarship, not partisanship." He added that the institution's aim is to present history by understanding "how that history shaped us and continues to shape us," rather than shying away from it.
The report notes that approximately 62 percent of the Smithsonian's annual budget of $1 billion comes from federal sources. While the Trump administration proposed budget cuts in fiscal year 2026, Congress has largely maintained federal funding. The report references the president's executive order directing Vice President JD Vance to work with the Office of Management and Budget to prohibit expenditures on exhibits or programs that degrade "shared American values" or promote "ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy."
Two vacancies remain on the Smithsonian's 17-member Board of Regents, and President Trump has yet to name replacements. The report suggests the president has a duty to "seek reforms of the Smithsonian."