Hearing Wrap Up: Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s Radical Agenda to Reshape the Past

WASHINGTON-Today, the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency held a hearing titled "Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian's Efforts to Reshape the Past." During the hearing, members examined efforts of the National Museum of American History (NMAH) and the broader Smithsonian Institution to promote divisive, inappropriate, and factually inaccurate programming on U.S. history. Members criticized the use of the taxpayer-funded NMAH as a tool to promote a politicized agenda concerning issues of race, class, gender and sexuality. This hearing follows a report released by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4, 2026, revealing the NMAH's extensive left-wing biases that significantly alter and disparage United States history.

Key Takeaways:

The NMAH has bent the knee to left-wing activists and allowed them to dictate a hateful agenda marketed as "fact."

• Dr. Anthea Hartig, Director of the National Museum of American History, claimed that "Our work is governed by the Smithsonian standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence and nonpartisanship. The museum does not take sides in America's political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions." However, the White House Domestic Policy Council's report and members exposed how Museum leadership is pushing an activist agenda that seeks to rewrite American history as a narrative of oppression and serial injustices, while downplaying this nation's unique heritage of liberty, democracy and opportunity.
• Mike Gonzalez, Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, testified that "Some curator of one of the most exalted institutions had decided to use morally loaded, academic key word to address a visitor to the museum, say a family from the Midwest, and teach them a lesson about 'American wickedness.' Teaching lessons about American wickedness is now the mission of the Smithsonian. It is the intent of the leadership and is precisely what they trained the staff to do. Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, Anthea Hartig, the Director of the National Museum of American History and one of today's witnesses, and other museum leaders have commandeered the world's largest museum complex and admit that they intend to use it as a tool of societal transformation. This is not why Americans entrusted these institutions to them."
  
• Dr. Matthew Spalding, Professor and Dean at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., testified that "A National Museum of American History should tell the American national story. It should present the facts of history, what actually happened as accurately as possible, and with minimal present-day bias. Americans' history belongs neither to liberals nor conservatives. It belongs, as noted to the American people. It should be told, warts and all, so that visitors understand the basic chronological narrative and see how the nation got to where it is today. Nothing integral to that history should be erased or whitewashed, but social transformation should not be the objective. The National Museum of American History should tell the story of a nation and a people driven to overcome injustice and live up to its heritage. A story of imperfection, but also overwhelming accomplishment of tragedies, but also great triumphs of hardship, but also heroism."

The White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) released a bombshell report on July 4, 2026, revealing extensive left-wing biases of the NMAH that significantly alter and disparage U.S. history.

• Mr. Gonzalez also urged members to "Read the report and you will find that it is not just postmodernism that guides the leadership to see the world in terms of power dynamics, who has dominance and had arrested from them by dismantling the American narrative. This is deeply Marxist and Gramscian. In fact, the action toolkit that leadership used to indoctrinate staff at the Smithsonian for years even quotes approvingly from the works of the Frankfurt school's critical theorist, Herbert Marcuse…Lonnie Bunch put the Smithsonian's reputation at serious risk, and Director Hartig endorsed all of it, pledging to, quote, 'work to reframe the traditional celebratory narrative of U.S.'"
  
• Dr. Spalding also stated that "The report concludes, rightly, in my opinion, that the museum has become subject to institutional capture. That is the big picture the forest we should not miss for all the trees. But don't take my word for it. The current Director has said that 'at the National Museum of American History, we work to reframe the traditional celebratory narrative of U.S. history'… As was noted, 'American' and 'history' are gone, replaced by our past, and understandings replaced by empowerment. This is not a history based on established facts in known reality. Indeed, it is not history at all. This is the very definition of an ideology, a systematic framework for interpreting society, challenging the social order, and instigating political and social action."

Congress has a duty to ensure taxpayer dollars for the Smithsonian are not used to fund radical political agendas, but to educate Americans and to help instill an appreciation for our nation's great history and heritage.

• As an organization that receives 62 percent of its funds from the federal government, the Smithsonian Institution should serve the American people, not promote an ideologically charged agenda.

Member Highlights:

Following Dr. Hartig's previous statements on land acknowledgements, Subcommittee Chairman Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) asked whether she ever considered donating any of her personal property to the Native American tribes she references in those acknowledgments. He also questioned whether it is appropriate for NMAH to display adult-themed content in areas accessible to children.

Subcommittee Chairman Burchett: "…I do appreciate your constant land acknowledgments that were in the film [showed previously]. I'm wondering, have you ever planned on [donating] any of your personal property or property of the Smithsonian to any of these tribes?"

Dr. Hartig: "I don't believe that's pertinent to the conversation, sir."

Subcommittee Chairman Burchett: "Well, I mean, say that every time you open your meetings, apparently. And I was just curious of that acknowledgment if that was something you were you were planning on doing. Should the American History Museum be the site that focuses in on what we have in common, the shared national heritage of great ideals and revolutionary events or focus on what you deemed the issue of the day, which are race, identity, gender, gender and sexuality, ma'am?"

Dr. Hartig: "Yes, sir. At the National Museum of American History, we strive to create a museum where our visitors will be inspired by the collections, programs and exhibitions, and they will choose what they each will do to keep our American democracy strong and vibrant. And they'll play that chosen part with passion. That is our hope."

[…]

Subcommittee Chairman Burchett: "Gender and sexuality are highlighted by your museum. The poster behind me shows an exhibit called Entertainment Nation on display. Now, do you think these exhibits behind me are appropriate for children?"

Dr. Hartig: "So, I recognize some of the images from Entertainment Nation and from, I think some other sources. But let me, I think, tell you what I think is most important-"

Subcommittee Chairman Burchett: "Ma'am. I mean, you have pictures of bondage. You have some overtly sexual things up there. You have transgendered folks. I assume that's what they are, and some I don't care who it is. I don't care who it is. It's still not a fan, I can tell you that. But in another exhibit, a six-year-old girl asks why she doesn't have male genitalia. Do you really think that content is appropriate for children? I mean, do you think little girls have penises? I mean, let's get to the basics of this. Do you think that's appropriate?"

Dr. Hartig: "It's complicated, which was a temporary exhibit in our museum that closed, I believe, in 2010."

Subcommittee Chairman Burchett: "And I didn't ask you that. I asked you, do you think is it appropriate?"

Dr. Hartig: "So in that exhibit, sir, with permission of the author, we shared a 13-year-old's diary, which I believe is what you're discussing. And in that diary, they wrote about sleepovers and Latin class and math exams."

Subcommittee Chairman Burchett: "Ma'am, do you think that's appropriate? [We are] limited on time, ma'am. Do you think that's appropriate? Do you think that is appropriate for a child to see? Yes or no?"

Dr. Hartig: "I understand your question, sir, but-"

Subcommittee Chairman Burchett: "No, you don't. You're not answering. You're just running on, ma'am. And I appreciate your hospitality, but the reality is you're not answering the questions. You're funded by taxpayers. And the taxpayers would like to know, is that appropriate?"

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) grilled Dr. Hartig on racially-charged content and merchandise sold at the NMAH.

Rep. Brandon Gill: "Are you promoting a white supremacy culture at the Smithsonian?"

Dr. Hartig: "Am I promoting a white man?"

Rep. Gill: "Is this a difficult question?"

Dr. Hartig: "No, sir. I'm just thinking about the mass action toolkit. We didn't develop it. But back to your question. No, we're not promoting any ideology."

Rep. Gill: "Does it concern you that your goal is objectivity? One of your goals is objectivity and your mass action toolkit references 'objectivity' as a defining characteristic of white supremacy culture."

Dr. Hartig: "It's not our toolkit."

Rep. Gill: "It is your toolkit. You've been promoting it for quite some time."

Dr. Hartig: "We did not come up with the toolkit, sir."

Rep. Gill: "But you've been promoting it."

Dr. Hartig: "It is used as a reference, I believe probably in 2019, 2020."

Rep. Gill: "Yes. Under your leadership it has been used as a reference. Is Mickey Mouse racist?"

Dr. Hartig: "Mickey Mouse is not racist."

Rep. Gill: "It's not racist. According to the Smithsonian Institution, one of your exhibits referenced Mickey Mouse as representing, quote, 'vestiges of long-standing traditions of blackface minstrelsy.' Would you describe that as racist?"

Dr. Hartig: "No. The historical trajectory of the origins of Mickey Mouse tie directly."

Rep. Gill: "So Mickey Mouse is rooted in racism. Is that your testimony?"

Dr. Hartig: "Sure, it's rooted in [minstrelsy]."

Rep. Gill: "Minstrelsy. You don't think that blackface minstrelsy is racist?"

Dr. Hartig: "It's certainly an obvious racial overtone that has been well documented."

Rep. Gill: "I think it's problematic, that Mickey Mouse also has those racial overtones."

Dr. Hartig: "It's not for me to determine what's problematic. It's determined to me what's accurate."

Rep. Gill: "Is that right? Is it important to be polite?"

Dr. Hartig: "Yes, sir."

Rep. Gill: "It's also interesting because the same mass action toolkit that your organization has been promoting references 'politeness' as a defining characteristic of white supremacy culture. Ma'am, are you a white supremacist?"

Dr. Hartig: "No, sir."

Rep. Gill: "You're not. Can you help me square why? Your organization says that being polite is part of being a white supremacist."

Dr. Hartig: "I'm not exactly familiar with that passage of the mass action toolkit."

Rep. Gill: "I just read you a passage from it."

Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) inquired about radical left-wing activists attempting to rewrite history in order to transform American society.

Rep. Jack: "My first question is to Mr. Gonzalez. I appreciate your testimony today. We've heard some pretty concerning things throughout this hearing. I'm curious, from your perspective, what's fueling this ideological takeover of many of our institutions?"

Mr. Gonzalez: "Thank you, [Representative] Jack, good to see you again. I agree with Dr. Blight that fascists tried to seize the past to control the future. But it really is the trademark of Marxists. This is what Marxists do. I think that people who want to truly transform the country, seize the cultural institutions in order to mold how people think, [these are] their own words. Leadership of the Smithsonian says constantly that it wants to use the museum to transform America for societal transformation. They see history itself as a tool, an instrument to change society. So you only have to quote what they say they want to do."

Rep. Jack: "What would you say are the most egregious examples of this takeover that you've seen on display in the Smithsonian?"

Mr. Gonzalez: "Well, we I think we have gone through many of them here. Let me correct the record, because it was said earlier that the mask toolkit was not produced by the Smithsonian. On page 64, it says that it was coauthored by half a dozen current and former Smithsonian employees. The fact that the staff of the Smithsonian is trained, you know, trained for four years after-for three years after the Smithsonian apologized. I think that's pretty damning. [They were] trained for four years on how to use history to transform America. The fact that the, for example, the [Benjamin] Franklin exhibit, they pondered whether he had ever done experiments and electroshock on indentured servants, or slaves, without producing any evidence whatsoever. I think that is pretty shocking. Why smear a Founding Father such as Ben Franklin by pondering such a really bizarre thing?"

Click here to watch the hearing.