Trump Accuses Smithsonian of “Anti-White Activism” in Draconian New Report
The White House’s 162-page document claims museum leadership has promoted "extreme political activism."
More than a year after President Trump ordered his administration to investigate so-called "race-centered ideology" at the Smithsonian Institution, the White House has published a new report accusing museum leadership of promoting "extreme political activism."
Published on July 4, "Saving America's Story" was authored by the Trump-appointed Domestic Policy Council. Throughout the 162-page document, the council scrutinizes how the institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) portrays topics such as race, immigration, and gender.
Sunday's report follows the administration's March 2025 executive order demanding an end to "divisive narratives” across the Smithsonian's 21 museums, various education centers, and National Zoo.
In the early pages of the report, authors immediately cast NMAH Director Anthea M. Hartig, a decorated public historian and the first woman to lead the museum, as an "activist advancing an ideological agenda" that runs counter to the museum's mandate of "fostering patriotism."
Among the administration's boldest claims against the NMAH was an accusation that the museum engaged in "anti-White activism" by allegedly creating "hiring practices and programming" tailored for demographics including non-English speakers and non-United States residents — and not creating such opportunities for "whites, Christians, males, and Americans."
The document also accuses the museum of promoting "citizenship for millions of illegal aliens" through its exhibition Many Voices, One Nation (2017–present), which examines "how the many voices of the American people have contributed to and continue to shape the nation and its communities.”
Trump officials also denounced specific museum exhibits, including a protest prop from a 2018 march in Washington, DC, that represented monarch butterfly wings as a symbol of migration and resilience among undocumented immigrants.
The report also included complaints about the museum's perceived lack of July 4 programming this year, display of trans-inclusive language, and portrayals of Christopher Columbus as a "thief."
As a partially public institution, the Smithsonian receives over $1 billion in federal appropriations annually, which the administration has previously threatened to withhold if the organization doesn’t comply with its content demands.
In response to an inquiry from Hyperallergic about whether the Trump administration would intervene in any of the Smithsonian’s programming as a result of its findings, the White House sent a statement by Vince Haley, a Republican political strategist and director of the Domestic Policy Council.
"It is our hope and expectation that the Smithsonian will eventually rise once again to [a] noble obligation — to tell America’s story for our children, the world, and future generations of Americans," Haley said.
Since the March 2025 order, the White House has compelled Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch to turn over numerous internal documents, including information about curatorial processes, for the Trump administration to review.
As the president zeroes in on Smithsonian museums and United States cultural institutions as part of his political agenda, historians have called on the public to document exhibits and labels, fearing that they may be altered or removed by the administration.
The administration has vowed to issue "content corrections" to the Smithsonian, but has not yet done so publicly.
When Hyperallergic asked whether the Smithsonian would alter any exhibition after this weekend's report, a spokesperson defended the institution's independence.
“For more than 180 years, the Smithsonian has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship," the spokesperson said. "And we remain committed to doing so."
