Tensions between the Trump administration and the Smithsonian Institution have escalated after a White House report accused the National Museum of American History of promoting a "radical, activist ideology."
In the days after the report was released, historians rallied around the museum, Smithsonian leadership criticized the report, and visitors – including some supporters of President Donald Trump – told USA TODAY they saw little evidence of a https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/10/trump-smithsonian-national-museum-american-history/90860071007/radical agenda at the museum.
The 162-page report, released July 4 by the White House Domestic Policy Council, is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing review of the Smithsonian, which includes 21 museums and the National Zoo.
The report accuses the museum of overemphasizing themes like racism and inequality and says its leaders steered from historical scholarship toward social justice advocacy. It also argues that the museum's exhibits fail to sufficiently highlight American achievements and instead "teach disdain and inspire disgust of our great country."