White House report demands white, patriarchal, Christian history at Smithsonian museum

A 162-page report from the White House's Domestic Policy Council, released on 4 July 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, criticizes the National Museum of American History (NMAH) for presenting a history that includes Indigenous, Black, immigrant, and transgender experiences, arguing the museum has become an instrument of "radical, activist ideology." The report claims the museum "denigrated and displaced whites, males, Christians and Americans" and lacks exhibits on the Founding Fathers, the Mayflower, and Christianity's role. It specifically targets exhibitions such as "Girlhood (It's Complicated)" for including transgender stories and a monarch butterfly symbol associated with undocumented immigrants, and "Corazón y Vida: Lowriding Culture" and "How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories" for highlighting cultures it deems "foreign." The report suggests slavery should be presented as a European inheritance that America helped end, ignoring that most of Europe abolished slavery earlier. The Smithsonian responded that it remains committed to nonpartisan scholarship. The report is part of broader Trump administration efforts to control the Smithsonian's narrative, with potential board appointments in September that could further influence the institution. The next test may be the reopening of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's renovated galleries, which previously featured Alexis Rockman's climate change painting "Manifest Destiny."