White House Brands the Smithsonian's Flagship History Museum a Nest of 'Radical Activists' in 162-Page Broadside

The Trump administration has opened a sweeping new front in its year-long feud with the Smithsonian Institution, releasing a 162-page report that accuses the country's largest museum complex of "extreme political activism" and casts its leaders as ideologues who have hijacked the telling of American history.

The report, titled "Saving America's Story," was produced by the White House Domestic Policy Council and published around the Fourth of July as the country prepares to mark its 250th anniversary in 2026. Its sharpest fire is aimed at the National Museum of American History, which the document says "fails in the basic task of illuminating our heritage" and instead works to "divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens."

At the heart of the White House's complaint is a claim that the museum has organized its exhibits around race, gender, immigration, economic inequality and sexuality rather than a more traditional narrative of national founding and progress. The report singles out displays that discuss transgender identities, immigration activism, racial injustice and the legacy of slavery, and argues that curators have shortchanged figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson while dwelling on colonialism and systemic discrimination. Eight Smithsonian museums were given 30 days to respond and 120 days to adopt the changes the administration is demanding.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, the historian who built the National Museum of African American History and Culture before rising to lead the entire institution, pushed back forcefully. He said the report was not a fair characterization of the museums' work and defended their independence, insisting that "at the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America's story." Museum professionals and historians warned that a politically dictated rewrite of exhibits would erode the credibility the institution has spent generations building.

The confrontation is the latest escalation in a broader campaign to reshape federally supported cultural institutions in President Trump's image. The administration has previously moved to review exhibits, pressure curators and align programming with the president's interpretation of the national past. Critics argue the effort amounts to state-directed history; supporters say taxpayer-funded museums should celebrate, not interrogate, the American founding.

The stakes are unusually high because of the timing. The Smithsonian's constellation of museums on the National Mall draws tens of millions of visitors a year and is expected to be a centerpiece of the semiquincentennial celebrations. Whatever emerges from the 120-day review will shape how millions of Americans and foreign tourists encounter the nation's story during a landmark anniversary year — and whether that story is decided by scholars or by the White House.