WASHINGTON — The White House Domestic Policy Council released a report on July 4, 2026, characterizing the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of American History as radical activists. The report accuses the institutions of ideological capture and states they cannot be trusted to present American history honestly. The report claims, "The Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America's story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic." It adds, "As this report shows, confirmed in the words of Museum leadership, this ideological capture has moved the Museum's mission away from straightforward historical education and scholarship toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country."

The council's report further states that the National Museum of American History "by the intention and at the direction of current Museum and Smithsonian leadership, has become 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." It also asserts, "The National Museum of American History confronts visitors with materials intended to undermine faith in American institutions and the longstanding shared ideals of the American people." The report concludes, "We must be committed to restoring truth and sanity in how American history is presented and taught."

Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, responded to the report on July 5, 2026. Bunch, the first African American to lead the institution, stated, "The notion of being a more perfect union, not the perfect union, is really what motivates me." He added, "I think what I want people to understand is that there is a responsibility to continue to make those aspirations available, accessible, meaningful to a whole range of people." Bunch said that America's greatest strength is "And that, in essence, America's greatest strength, it's not running away from its history, but it's understanding how that history shaped us and continues to shape us."

Anthea M. Hartig serves as the director of the National Museum of American History and is the first woman to hold this position. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also commented on July 5, 2026, stating, "There's not one individual narrative that a president gets about our history." Shapiro added, "And any president should want to make sure that that full history is shared, that the American people are able to draw their own conclusions." He also said, "If we understand where we came from, we're going to have a better path forward."

In March 2026, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that targeted funding for Smithsonian programs perceived to advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology." The Trump administration secured a court ruling on June 28, 2026, permitting the reinstallation of interpretive panels at the site of President George Washington's home in Philadelphia.