"The museum does not take sides in America's political debates"

Anthea Hartig, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, defended the museum's mission Tuesday after the White House accused it of promoting a politically biased view of U.S. history.

"The museum does not take sides in America's political debates," she told the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on DOGE. "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."

The Trump administration released a 162-page report on July 4 accusing the Smithsonian of engaging in "extreme political activism" and presenting "a radical view of American history."

The report singled out the National Museum of American History, accusing it of adopting "an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens."

Ms. Hartig rejected that characterization, saying the museum presents the nation's full history — the good, the bad and everything in between — and that patriotism should be "not instructed, but inspired."

"We unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum," she said. "There is always room for improvement, but I also know the beauty and the inspiration and the expertise that lies in our collections, our exhibits and our programming."

She said the museum is committed to telling the truth about the times the country "fell short of its own founding ideals."

"Telling our story fully is a form of respect for the American people, and a commitment to constantly being in pursuit of a more perfect union," she said.

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