Smithsonian Targeted in Trump Culture War Over Ideological Capture

White House Report Targets Smithsonian Exhibits

Released in July, the 162-page White House report argued that the museum moved away from straightforward historical education toward extreme political activism. The report singled out several exhibits, such as The Electric Dr. Franklin, which opened in November 2021 to detail Benjamin Franklin’s contributions to electrical science. The exhibit noted that Franklin enslaved people prior to becoming an abolitionist and stated that his accomplishments were partly enabled by slavery. The exhibit text speculated on Franklin’s research methods, noting he wrote about taking shocks and using family and friends. Indentured servants and enslaved people in his household could also have been used, although we may never know for certain, the exhibit stated. In addition to the Franklin display, the White House report and subsequent congressional hearings criticized other museum artifacts, including a chrome and rubber crotch harness designed for sadomasochistic sex.

Political Escalation and Congressional Hearings

The friction between the federal government and the Smithsonian intensified in March 2025, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring the institution had succumbed to a race-centered ideology. Following the July White House report, two House committees held back-to-back hearings. Republican members questioned the museum’s director, Anthea Hartig, about controversial items like the sadomasochistic sex harness. Later in July, Trump signed another executive order directing the Department of the Interior to erect warning signs outside the museum to alert visitors about alleged ideological capture. While those signs have not yet been installed, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum sent a letter to the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents in late August. Burgum stated that other federal agencies cannot in good conscience continue to support the Smithsonian under current leadership.

Institutional Independence and Bipartisan Precedent

For decades, the Smithsonian Institution maintained bipartisan support while drawing some 15 million visitors annually across its 21 museums. Rare exceptions occurred, such as controversy over the National Air and Space Museum’s planned 1995 exhibit of the Enola Gay. Despite a longstanding debate regarding museum focus that dates back to at least 1999—when one critic argued the institution examined oppression rather than the central figures and episodes of U.S. history—the current executive branch pressure is unprecedented. The Smithsonian operates independently of the executive branch under a 17-member board. The board is led by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, includes the vice president, nine private citizens, and six members of Congress split evenly between parties.