Smithsonian Rejects White House Claims of ‘Anti-American’ Bias

Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch has pushed back against a White House report accusing the National Museum of American History of promoting “thinly veiled anti-Americanism” and “extreme political activism,” saying the assessment does not accurately reflect the museum’s work.

In a memo to Smithsonian staff, later confirmed by the institution and first reported by The Washington Post, Bunch acknowledged there is always room for improvement but said the report failed to fairly represent the museum’s mission, achievements, and overall contribution to preserving U.S. history. He added that the Smithsonian is carefully reviewing the report and its findings.

The 162-page report, released by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4 and titled Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage, argues that the museum presents the United States as fundamentally oppressive and has shifted toward political activism.

The report is part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to reshape cultural and historical institutions across the country. The Trump administration has said it aims to eliminate what it considers “anti-American ideology” from museums, monuments, and other publicly funded institutions. Previous executive actions have resulted in changes to slavery-related exhibits, the restoration of Confederate statues, and reviews of historical presentations, moves that critics argue could diminish the public’s understanding of key chapters in American history.

The Organization of American Historians, the nation’s largest association of U.S. history scholars, rejected the White House’s conclusions. The group said the administration was attempting to pressure Smithsonian leadership into presenting history in a way that aligns with its political agenda, calling the effort an example of executive overreach and a challenge to evidence-based historical scholarship.

The White House began reviewing several Smithsonian museums last year, with Trump indicating the institution could face scrutiny similar to universities whose federal funding has been questioned over administration policy disputes.

Founded more than 180 years ago, the Smithsonian Institution oversees 21 museums and galleries, along with the National Zoo. Although it receives most of its funding from the U.S. Congress, the institution operates independently in its curatorial and organizational decision-making.