The House will hold a hearing on the Smithsonian Museum's alleged attempts to rewrite American history
Fox News' Alex Hogan reports on a House Oversight Committee hearing on claims that Smithsonian Institution exhibits are politically biased and trying to rewrite American history. A White House report alleges that the National Museum of American History denigrates the nation's past, prompting congressional scrutiny of its management and the management of government funds.
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President Donald Trump on Friday ordered his administration to install signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History directing visitors to what the White House described as “accurate” information about the nation's past.
The executive order directs the National Park Service, which maintains roads outside the museum, to post signs informing visitors of a White House report issued on July 4 that criticized the Smithsonian's presentation of American history. Trump also directed the creation of a temporary exhibit aimed at correcting what his administration considers historical misinformation.
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The move follows a report from Trump's Domestic Policy Council that accused the Smithsonian and the National Museum of American History of failing to present history “in a way that is inspiring, inclusive, and appropriate for our great republic.”
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during the inauguration ceremony at Capital One Arena on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Because the Smithsonian operates independently of the executive branch, Trump cannot directly remove the museum's leadership or change exhibits independently. Instead, the order targeted federal property outside of the museum that falls under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
National Museum of American History Director Anthea M. Hartig defended the museum during congressional testimony this week.
“As we continue to review the report, we are consistently witnessing that it does not accurately reflect all of the museum's work,” Hartig told law enforcement. “There is always room for improvement. But I also know the beauty and inspiration and creativity that is in our collections, our shows, and our programs.”
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is being called to 'capture the mind' and present a historical review that has risen over the weekend of America's 250th birthday. (Kevin Carter)
Friday's order builds on Trump's broader efforts to reshape the Smithsonian's exhibits.
In March, Trump signed an executive order directing the Smithsonian's Board of Regents to remove what administrators described as “inappropriate, divisive or anti-American ideas” from the institution's museums.
The White House later criticized the National Museum of American History's “Entertainment Nation” exhibit, which argued that the pop culture of America constructs the nation's history through an ideological lens instead of celebrating its achievements. White House chief of staff Lindsey Halligan previously told Fox News Digital that “American taxpayers should not be the institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided and divisive political narratives.”
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People walk on the National Mall near the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, DC, on May 10, 2021. President Donald Trump has ordered signs outside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History directing visitors to a White House report criticizing the museum's portrayal of American history. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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At the time, the Smithsonian said it was conducting a review of the museum's contents and was committed to “continuous and rigorous scholarship and research and the unbiased presentation of facts and history.”
The Smithsonian is overseen by a Board of Regents that includes Vice President JD Vance, Chief Justice John Roberts, members of Congress and senior citizens. The agency receives about two-thirds of its roughly $1 billion annual budget from federal appropriations.
Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
