The director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History appeared before a House Oversight subcommittee on Tuesday, firmly rejecting a White House report that labelled the institution's leadership as "radical activists" who "cannot be trusted" and who have turned the museum into a bastion of left-wing ideology.

The report, released on 4 July by the White House Domestic Policy Council to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence, accused the museum — a centrepiece of the Smithsonian complex lining Washington's National Mall — of failing to tell history "in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic." It claimed the museum portrayed America as "a problematic country founded by deeply flawed men, defined by white supremacy, slavery, conquest, exclusion, subjugation, racism, xenophobia, misogyny and systemic injustice." The report reflects a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape how cultural and historical institutions funded by the federal government present the American story, often by de-emphasising the roles of slavery, racism, and marginalised communities.

Director Anthea M. Hartig, the first woman to lead the institution, pushed back directly. "The report does not fairly or accurately characterise the full body of work at the museum," she told lawmakers. She argued that patriotism need not mean blind loyalty, and that genuine love of country can include honestly confronting the moments when the nation failed to live up to its own ideals. "That is not un-American," she said, invoking the Constitution's preamble. "It is a testament of respect for the American people and the promise to constantly work toward a more perfect union." She also disputed the report's claim that the museum neglects celebrated historical figures, noting that visitors are greeted by a large statue of George Washington, that Thomas Jefferson's writing desk — used to draft the Declaration of Independence — is a prized exhibit, and that the Star-Spangled Banner is displayed in full. An exhibit opened in May, entitled "In Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness," features 250 objects marking the anniversary, including a Revolutionary War-era gunboat.

Republican members of the panel largely echoed the White House's concerns, arguing that the museum's framing reduces history to "an ongoing power struggle between oppressors and the oppressed," while some acknowledged that relevant material exists but said it was difficult to navigate. Democrats defended the institution, with Representative Joe Morelle warning that the president was "abusing his power to impose political compliance on a respected cultural institution." Hartig's own future at the museum remained an undercurrent throughout the hearing; Trump previously pressured out the director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery under similar circumstances.

The dispute matters because it reflects a wider contest over who controls national memory. Historians have expressed alarm at what they describe as politically motivated revisionism, noting that changes have also affected text panels at national parks and military cemeteries abroad. Hartig invited lawmakers to visit the museum in person. "You will not find an institution that has forgotten its country," she said, "but one that loves it enough to tell the whole story — the triumphs and the struggles, the courage and the promises."