A 162-page report released by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4 accuses leaders at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (NAMH) of adopting an ideological framework that politicizes American history. The report claims the museum "fails in the basic task of illuminating" U.S. heritage and has shifted its mission from historical education to activism.
According to the report, museum leadership no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance but uses it as a "political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens." It cites NAMH director Anthea Hartig’s view of history as a "prime tool of social justice" and criticizes the museum for "problematizing" the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding, as well as advocating for undocumented migrants, transgender Americans, and other minority groups.
The NAMH, which opened in 1964, features exhibits on history, politics, and popular culture. It recently opened an exhibit in May exploring the ideals of the Declaration of Independence to commemorate the United States’ 250th birthday.
In response, Lonnie Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian since 2019, said the anniversary is "an opportunity to actually get people to think about" history. Speaking to Christiane Amanpour on CNN, Bunch emphasized that "history is really about ambiguity, complexity, nuance, debate," and that understanding the nation’s complexity and diversity is beneficial.
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