‘The museum does not take sides’: Smithsonian official defends institution amid Trump criticism

The museum does not take sides: Cyberzenhub.com – “`html Smithsonian Leadership Defends Museum's Mission During Congressional Testimony Anthea Hartig

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Smithsonian Leadership Defends Museum’s Mission During Congressional Testimony

Anthea Hartig, the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, stood before lawmakers on Tuesday to address mounting criticism from the White House regarding the institution’s exhibitions and programming. Speaking during a congressional hearing, Hartig emphasized that the museum’s operations remain firmly rooted in established principles of scholarly rigor and political neutrality.

“Our work is governed by the Smithsonian standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence, and nonpartisanship,” Hartig declared to the assembled committee members. “The museum does not take sides in America’s political debates. 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.”

Context of the Congressional Hearings

Hartig’s statements formed part of her opening remarks during a session convened by the House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency. The hearing carried the title “Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past.” According to a committee spokesperson who spoke with ABC News, Hartig is also scheduled to provide testimony on Wednesday before the Committee on House Administration in a related proceeding.

This marks a significant moment as the first time a senior Smithsonian leader faces direct questioning from Congress following President Donald Trump’s executive order issued on March 27, 2025. That directive, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” instructed Vice President J.D. Vance to work with the president’s domestic policy advisers to eliminate what the administration characterized as improper ideology from Smithsonian facilities. The order argued that materials presenting America in a negative manner had no appropriate place within federal cultural institutions.

White House Report and Museum Response

The congressional scrutiny follows a critical report issued by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4. That document leveled accusations against the MNAH and its leadership, claiming they engaged in “extreme political activism” while simultaneously presenting “a radical view of American history.” The report further characterized the museum’s approach as including “anti-White activism,” “illegal alien activism,” and “transgender activism,” alongside numerous photographs of materials the administration identified as problematic.

“The Smithsonian takes the concerns raised in the White House Domestic Policy Council’s report seriously, and as 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,” Hartig responded on Tuesday. “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.”

The White House initiated its investigation into the Smithsonian last year. The institution oversees twenty-one museums, galleries, and the national zoo. The July 4 report focused specifically on the American history museum as part of this broader examination.

Historical Perspective and Future Outlook

A Smithsonian spokesperson communicated to ABC News on July 5 that the organization maintains its dedication to impartial scholarship. “For more than 180 years, the Smithsonian has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship, and we remain committed to doing so,” the spokesperson stated.

The White House report went beyond criticizing specific exhibits, suggesting that museum leadership lacked sufficient patriotism. It proposed that the institution would benefit from displaying a warning label at every entrance reading: “Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country.”

Hartig countered this assertion during her Tuesday testimony, extending an invitation to lawmakers to personally examine the museum’s contents. “I believe what you will find, madams and sirs, is not an institution that has forgotten its country, but one that loves it enough to tell the full sweep of history, our triumphs and our struggles,” she explained. “I love the United States of America. I consider it the privileg”

Photographic documentation shows Hartig arriving for the Smithsonian Celebration of Asian Pacific Americans in Los Angeles on May 18, 2019. The image was captured by Michael Tran for AFP via Getty Images. Additional imagery depicts the Smithsonian American History Museum on July 7, 2026, photographed by Finn Gomez for Getty Images.

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