WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History pushed back Tuesday against a recent that branded the institution’s leadership as radical activists who cannot be trusted.
The testimony from Anthea M. Hartig came as President Donald Trump has engaged in a broad national effort to reshape the stories of America told by cultural institutions controlled or influenced by the federal government and, in particular, to purge diversity, equity and inclusion elements from those narratives. Many historians are alarmed by the revisionism.
鈥淎s we continue to fact check the report, we unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum,鈥� Hartig told a House Oversight subcommittee. 鈥淭here 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.鈥�
Coinciding with the of American independence, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a report on July Fourth arguing that the museum, a centerpiece of the sprawling Smithsonian complex on the National Mall, doesn’t tell history 鈥渋n a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.鈥�
Republicans on the panel reiterated some of those concerns on Tuesday.
鈥淚n the museum鈥檚 current telling, history is just an ongoing power struggle between oppressors and the oppressed,鈥� said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. 鈥淭he report makes clear that the museum鈥檚 woke exhibits and materials reflect a broader vision held by the museum leadership.鈥�
Hartig, the first woman to serve as director of the National Museum of American History, said 鈥渄oes not take sides in America’s political debates.鈥� She described the museum’s presentation of the nation’s story as an evolution intended to add voices, not erase history as detractors sometimes argue.
鈥淲hen historians talk about reframing a traditional narrative, we don鈥檛 mean erasing it,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e mean adding the evidence, the voices, the objects, that earlier tellings left out, so that more Americans can see themselves reflected in the national story.鈥�
The White House report argued that the museum 鈥渉as refused to celebrate the Nation and its history.鈥�
鈥淚t has not created any exhibit dedicated to presenting a general narrative of American history or telling the story of any of our Founding Fathers, the Second Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War, or the achievement of independence and the establishment of the constitutional rule of law,鈥� the report said.
But the museum opened an exhibit in May dubbed 鈥淚n Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness鈥� that displays 250 objects to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. The artifacts include the desk used by Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, a Revolutionary War-era gunboat and the Star Spangled Banner.
Some Republicans on the panel on Tuesday acknowledged that the museum displays important material related to the anniversary but argued it was challenging to navigate. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, said he expected references to the Declaration of Independence to be more prominent during a recent visit.
鈥淚’m not saying it’s not there, but it’s hard to find,鈥� he said.
Hartig faced particular scrutiny from Republicans over an exhibit entitled 鈥淕irlhood (It’s Complicated),鈥� which included a diary from a 13-year old exploring issues including gender identity. The museum director said the exhibit, which ran from 2020 through 2023, included a label making clear it was not designed for children.
Hartig’s future as the museum’s director hung over the hearing. Trump last year said he was firing the longtime leader of the National Portrait Gallery, another Smithsonian museum that, like the National Museum of American History, operates independently of the executive branch. The National Portrait Gallery’s director, Kim Sajet, nonetheless stepped down from the museum in the face of the White House pressure.
At one point, Burchett asked Hartig why she should continue in her job. She responded simply that overseeing the museum is 鈥渢he honor of my career.鈥�
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
