WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new 162-page White House report released in early July 2026 sharply criticizes the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) for what it describes as “ideological capture” by radical activism, shifting the museum away from historical education toward political advocacy that emphasizes division, shame, and social justice over national heritage.
The report, titled Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage, was prepared by the Domestic Policy Council following President Donald Trump’s March 2025 Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” It argues that under current leadership — particularly Director Anthea Hartig — the museum has abandoned its original mission of fostering patriotism and illuminating America’s story of progress, liberty, and achievement.
On July 7, 2026, the official White House Rapid Response account (@RapidResponse47) amplified the report in a widely viewed thread (over 875,000 views on the opening post), calling out what it labeled as “Radical Left propaganda and degeneracy” in exhibits and programming. The thread presented specific examples drawn directly from the report’s documentation of museum materials.
Key Examples Highlighted in the Thread and Report
The thread and report cite numerous instances where the museum allegedly reframed American history and culture through a lens of oppression, while incorporating explicit or activist content:
- Explicit and sexualized material in family-oriented exhibits: Displays included a sadomasochistic “crotch harness,” a “trans nonbinary” person’s “chest binder,” pages from a 6-year-old girl’s diary praying for her penis to grow, video clips of drag queens, images of nude women, and a magazine promoting “female masturbation.” The report ties these to broader “Girlhood (It’s Complicated)” and gender-related programming that presents gender as fluid and challenges “entrenched gender binaries.”
- Smearing of American cultural icons: Mickey Mouse was described as carrying “vestiges of longstanding traditions of blackface minstrelsy.” The ukulele was labeled “a product of U.S. imperialism.” Wild West shows were portrayed as turning “the subjugation of Indigenous people into theater.”
- Negative reframing of America’s founding and symbols: Christopher Columbus was called a “murderer,” “slaver,” and “thief.” Christian Pilgrims were depicted as “colonizers.” Thanksgiving was presented as a “National Day of Mourning.” The report notes the museum’s push to “problematize” the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence rather than celebrate it.
- Treatment of Founders: In the Benjamin Franklin exhibit, 20% of the space was reportedly devoted to “Enslaved People,” including unsubstantiated questions about whether Franklin conducted electric shock experiments on slaves. Broader exhibits allegedly minimize or omit major figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson while emphasizing flaws and slavery.
- Anti-white elements and activist guidance: A museum-endorsed “toolkit” for professionals reportedly listed “rational thinking” and “hard work” as traits of “White Supremacy Culture.” The report documents staff efforts and hiring practices framed around anti-racism that treat “whiteness” as oppressive.
- Elevation of controversial figures: The museum highlighted Angela Davis, described in the thread as a Marxist who ran for vice president on the Communist Party ticket in 1980, advocated abolishing police and jails, and was once on the FBI’s Most Wanted list in connection with an armed incident.
The report claims these are not isolated but part of a systemic shift: removing “American history” from the museum’s mission statement to escape an “America First mentality,” partnering on pro-illegal immigration programming (including DACA promotion), and using history as “a prime tool of social justice” (quoting Hartig). It accuses the museum of presenting America as “irredeemably flawed” and defined by white supremacy, while omitting or downplaying unifying narratives, Founders’ achievements, and patriotic traditions.
Broader Context and Administration Position
The report concludes that NMAH, funded in part by taxpayers (the Smithsonian receives over $1 billion annually), has failed its fiduciary duty to tell America’s story honestly and inspiringly. It calls the institution “subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology” rooted in critical theory and incompatible with its original vision of fostering faith in the country’s destiny.
The thread ends by directing readers to the full report on whitehouse.gov and frames the findings as justification for the Trump administration’s corrective actions under the executive order.
Smithsonian’s Position
The Smithsonian Institution has maintained that it upholds “more than 180 years” of “nonpartisan and independent scholarship” and remains committed to that standard. Officials, including Secretary Lonnie Bunch, have emphasized nuance, complexity, and ongoing national progress in historical interpretation. No immediate exhibit changes were reported in initial coverage following the report’s release around July 4, 2026.
Implications
The report and accompanying thread represent a significant escalation in the administration’s scrutiny of federal cultural institutions ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Critics of the report view it as an attempt to impose a sanitized or patriotic narrative; supporters see it as long-overdue accountability against perceived ideological bias in taxpayer-funded spaces.
The full document remains publicly available on the White House website for readers to review the extensive documentation, quotes from museum leadership, and specific exhibit analyses.
This development underscores ongoing national debates over how American history should be presented in public institutions — balancing acknowledgment of flaws with celebration of achievements, unity, and heritage.