White House 'escalates' war on Smithsonian museum with scathing 162-page report

The White House marked the country's 250th birthday by releasing a 162-page report accusing the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History of "extreme political activism" and blaming its leaders for erasing the nation's heritage, The Washington Post reported Monday, calling it "yet another escalation."

The report, titled "Saving America's Story," was published July 4 by the White House's Domestic Policy Council, led by Vince Haley. It grew out of an executive order Trump signed in March 2025 demanding "improper ideology" be stripped from the Smithsonian's museums.

Its central finding claims museum leadership has adopted an ideological framework that treats the American story "not as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens." To the extent the museum tells a story at all, the report said, it is "one of regret, tragedy, and shame."

The report pinned much of the blame on the museum's director, Anthea Hartig, whom it names dozens of times, and accuses the institution of refusing to celebrate the nation on its 250th anniversary.

The Smithsonian has since pushed back.

"For more than 180 years, the Smithsonian has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship, and we remain committed to doing so," a spokesperson said, echoing the Board of Regents' earlier refusal to bend to the president.

In May, the museum opened an exhibit built for the 250th, "In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness," featuring 250 objects including the desk Jefferson used to draft the Declaration of Independence. It runs through the end of the year, part of a year-long campaign against the Smithsonian that has included funding threats.