New White House report says Smithsonian leadership 'can't be trusted'
FILE-A sign marks the location of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on the National Mall on August 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. The museum is one of 19 Smithsonian Institute museums in Washington, DC, and New York, NY. (Photo by J.
A White House report is characterizing leadership at the Smithsonian Institution as radical activists who "can’t be trusted."
This new report was released on July 4 by the White House Domestic Policy Council amid President Donald Trump’s push to overhaul some of Washington, D.C.’s historic institutions.
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In March, Trump revealed plans to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order that targeted funding for programs that advanced "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology," according to The Associated Press.
Trump campaigns for changes at the Smithsonian Institution
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President Donald Trump’s effort to force changes at the Smithsonian represents his latest move to transform universities and art in museums that he deems not in lock step with conservative sensibilities.
The Associated Press reported that Trump has also enforced changes to historical sites outside of Washington, D.C. including in Philadelphia, where the Trump administration won a court ruling last week permitting it to reinstall interpretive panels that some believe ignore the history of slavery at the site of President George Washington’s home.
Separately, Trump inserted himself as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with the goal of overhauling programming, and his handpicked board voted to add his name to the building until a federal judge later ordered the signage to be removed.
Referencing the White House report, the AP noted that its review concluded by finding that the Smithsonian Museum’s leadership at the institution has become subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology" that runs counter to the "honest story of the great country we know and love."
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which cites the White House report on Smithsonian Museum leadership. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.