Congressional Hearing Grills Smithsonian Director on Bizarre Allegations

During a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig faced a series of bizarre and accusatory questions from Republican committee members. The hearing centered on a 162-page White House report accusing the Smithsonian Institution of promoting "extreme political activism." Hartig, the first woman to lead the NMAH since 2019, was asked whether she was sexualizing children, whether men can become women, what a woman is, when her gender was revealed, whether the SI promotes White supremacy culture, whether Mickey Mouse is racist, what "Latina power" is, and about aborted babies. The Trump administration has threatened to cut funding unless the Smithsonian hands over didactics, staff information, and planned programming. President Trump previously claimed to have fired National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet in 2025 for diversifying programming and acquisitions.