The director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (NMAH), Anthea Hartig, stated she has no regrets about any exhibits under her leadership after being confronted with criticism over a controversial display involving founding father Benjamin Franklin.

During two hearings on Capitol Hill in July 2026, Hartig was questioned following a report from the White House Domestic Policy Council accusing the museum of promoting a "radical activist ideology" using taxpayer funds and its prestigious status.

Heritage Foundation expert Mike Gonzalez testified at a House hearing on Tuesday, July 23, 2026, that a multiyear special exhibit titled "The Electric Dr. Franklin" included a display that "pondered whether he had ever done experiments, electrical electroshock on indentured servants or slaves." Gonzalez criticized the exhibit for suggesting this "without producing any evidence whatsoever," calling it "unexpected."

The 162-page report, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," delivered on America's 250th birthday, accused NMAH of treating the American story as a political tool rather than a shared national inheritance. It further claimed that under current Smithsonian leadership, the museum has been "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."

Hartig responded during her testimony that the Smithsonian takes the concerns raised in the White House Domestic Policy Council's report seriously but asserted that the report does not fairly or accurately characterize the museum's full body of work.

Immediately after Gonzalez’s testimony, Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) confronted Hartig, questioning the rationale behind what he described as a "smear" against Benjamin Franklin.

Sources