Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch has strongly rejected a White House report accusing its National Museum of American History (NMAH) of “thinly veiled anti-Americanism” and “extreme political activism,” calling the characterization unfair.
“While there will always be room for improvement, this report is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History,” Bunch stated in a Tuesday memo to staff. The institution confirmed the memo to Reuters, which first reported it.
The 162-page White House report, released 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,” had already been rejected by the Organization of American Historians, the nation’s largest group of U.S. history scholars.
Donald Trump has consistently targeted U.S. cultural and historical institutions in an effort to remove what he terms “anti-American” ideology. His executive orders have led to controversial actions like dismantling slavery exhibits and restoring Confederate statues, which civil rights advocates argue undermine critical American history. Last year, Trump signed an executive order specifically targeting the Smithsonian for “anti-American ideology” removal.
The White House report asserted that the “thinly veiled anti-Americanism on display at NMAH is merely a symptom of the widespread belief among Smithsonian leadership that America is, and has been since Columbus first set foot in the New World, a fundamentally oppressive nation.” It further alleged the museum’s “ideological capture” has moved it “toward an extreme political activism.”
In response, the Organization of American Historians stated: “In another example of executive branch overreach, the White House is seeking to coerce Smithsonian leadership to shape its presentation of U.S. history so that it serves the administration’s political agenda – part of an ongoing and multi-pronged assault by the Trump administration against accurate and evidence-based history in American public life.”
The White House launched an internal review of some Smithsonian museums last year, with Trump indicating threats of funding cuts to institutions displeasing his administration. The 180-year-old Smithsonian, independent in decision-making, receives most of its budget from the U.S. Congress. Bunch confirmed the institution continues to “review the report and its findings carefully.”
