Smithsonian History Museum Director Scheduled to Testify Before Two House Panels

Anthea Hartig, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, is scheduled to testify Tuesday morning before the House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency, with a follow-up appearance the next day before the Committee on House Administration, according to a committee spokesperson.

The appearances follow President Donald Trump’s March 27, 2025, executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which directed Vice President J.D. Vance to remove improper ideology from Smithsonian institutions. The order stated that materials casting America in a "negative light" have no place in federal cultural institutions, and the White House subsequently launched an investigation into the Smithsonian, which oversees 21 museums, galleries, and the national zoo.

A Smithsonian spokesperson stated on July 5, 2026, that the institution remains committed to impartial scholarship. "For more than 180 years, the Smithsonian has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship, and we remain committed to doing so," the spokesperson said.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch disputed the report’s findings in an internal letter to staff, writing that "while there will always be room for improvement, this report is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.

Vince Haley, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, stated that no American wants the museum to be a system of ideological activism. "Unfortunately, the report demonstrates that is exactly what the Smithsonian’s flagship museum has become," Haley said.