Key facts
- Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch stated a White House report unfairly characterized the National Museum of American History.
- The White House report accused the museum of "thinly veiled anti-Americanism" and "extreme political activism."
- Bunch stated the report was not a fair characterization of the museum's work.
- The Organization of American Historians also rejected the claims made in the White House report.
- The White House report was titled "SAVING AMERICA'S STORY: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage."
- President Donald Trump has previously targeted U.S. cultural and historical institutions to remove "anti-American" ideology.
Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch has stated that a recent White House report unfairly characterized the National Museum of American History, rejecting its accusations of "thinly veiled anti-Americanism" and "extreme political activism." Bunch conveyed in a memo to staff that while improvements are always possible, the report does not accurately reflect the museum's work.
The White House report, titled "SAVING AMERICA'S STORY: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage," alleged that the museum's ideological capture has led it toward "extreme political activism."
Earlier, the Organization of American Historians, a large group of U.S. history scholars, also rejected the report's claims, calling it an example of "executive branch overreach" and an attempt to coerce the Smithsonian into aligning its historical presentations with the administration's political agenda.
This action follows President Donald Trump's broader efforts to reshape U.S. cultural and historical institutions by removing what he deems "anti-American" ideology. These efforts have included dismantling slavery exhibits and restoring Confederate statues, moves that critics argue could reverse social progress and undermine the acknowledgment of critical historical phases. Trump had previously signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian for the removal of "anti-American ideology."
The Smithsonian, an 180-year-old institution comprising 21 museums and the National Zoo, receives most of its budget from Congress but operates independently in its decision-making.