White House report criticizes Smithsonian National Museum of American History exhibits

A White House report released Saturday night accused the Smithsonian Institution of presenting U.S. history through an ideological lens that emphasizes systemic racism and downplays founding figures. The 162-page document, titled “Saving America’s Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage,” was issued by the Domestic Policy Council.

It states that the museum’s mission has shifted from historical education to political activism.

Report findings The report says exhibits describe “Whiteness” as a system that normalizes inequality and that an 1840 statue of George Washington refuses to affirm the courage of the American people. It also claims the museum lacks major displays on the founding era, the Continental Congress, the Pilgrims, or the American Revolution.