A White House report accused leaders of the Smithsonian Institution of adopting an ideological framework that shifted the National Museum of American History away from its mission of historical education toward what it called an “extreme political activism.”
The report states that the Smithsonian Institution, particularly the National Museum of American History, “cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”
“By the intention and at the direction of current museum and Smithsonian leadership, [National Museum of American History] has become the subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love,” it stated.
The council said the museum has not established any exhibit specifically dedicated to the Founding Fathers, the Second Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War, or the nation’s path to independence and the establishment of constitutional rule of law.
“Our central finding is not that the museum has simply added overlooked stories, corrected perceived errors, or broadened its historical scope,” the report stated.
“Rather, it is that museum leadership has explicitly adopted an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens.”
A Smithsonian spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email that the institution “has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship” for more than 180 years and will remain “committed to doing so.”
The National Museum of American History, located in Washington, was originally named the National Museum of History and Technology when it was opened in January 1964. The museum was renamed in October 1980 to better reflect its responsibilities.
According to its website, the museum’s collection includes more than 1.7 million objects representing the nation’s heritage in the areas of science, technology, society, and culture.
The order states that many national parks promoted what it described as “distorted narrative driven by ideology.”
“It is the policy of my Administration to restore Federal sites dedicated to history, including parks and museums, to solemn and uplifting public monuments that remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing,” Trump stated in the order.
