White House report accuses Smithsonian leadership of radical activism

On July 4, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a 162‑page report titled “Saving America’s Story,” claiming that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History has been captured by a “radical, activist ideology.” The report says the museum’s leadership has shifted the institution’s mission from straightforward historical education to “extreme political activism,” minimizing the nation’s Founding Fathers and emphasizing themes such as slavery, gender‑fluidity, and systemic racism. It argues the museum “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly” and calls for restoring “truth and sanity” to how U.S. history is presented. The document follows President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which seeks to remove what the administration calls “divisive narratives” from federally funded cultural sites. The report suggests the president may replace Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, the first Black leader of the institution, and references similar actions at the John F. Kennedy Center, Columbia University, and a historic site in Philadelphia. Smithsonian officials responded that the institution has provided nonpartisan scholarship for more than 180 years and remains committed to that mission, with Bunch emphasizing the importance of an inclusive yet factual portrayal of America’s past.