Smithsonian Secretary Rejects White House Critique of History Museum

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III sent a memo to staff on Tuesday defending the National Museum of American History after the White House released a 162-page report that accused the museum of being captured by a radical activist ideology. Bunch wrote that the report “is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History” and emphasized that the Smithsonian’s work is guided by scholarship, accuracy and a commitment to presenting the full story of the United States.

He added that the institution remains focused on “scholarship, nonpartisanship, independence, accuracy and integrity,” noting its 180-year history of collaborating with government partners while pursuing knowledge with rigor for the public.

The Domestic Policy Council issued the report on July 4 under the title “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage.” The document criticized the museum for allegedly underemphasizing the Founding Fathers, insufficiently celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, and for engaging in what it described as anti-white, illegal-alien and transgender activism. It also accused the museum of attempting to indoctrinate teachers and students through its exhibitions and programs, and singled out museum director Anthea Hartig for “advancing an ideological agenda contradictory to the museum’s founding purpose of fostering patriotism.”

In a separate interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Bunch discussed the museum’s 250th-anniversary exhibition “American Aspirations,” saying, “It’s really important for people to understand that America is much an ideal as it is a place… let us honor the words of Thomas Jefferson and the founders, but let us use those to challenge us to be better.”