The House Oversight Committee questioned National Museum of American History director Anthea Hartig during its hearing on Rewriting American History on Tuesday.
🔴 LIVE! The Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is on the hot seat.
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 21, 2026
Chairman @RepTimBurchett’s DOGE subcommittee is examining the museum’s efforts to reshape America’s history to promote a woke political agenda.
Watch below 👇🏻…
The Committee released footage of the hearing to X, stating that it was designed to investigate “the museum’s efforts to reshape America’s history to promote a woke political agenda.”
Earlier this month, RSBN reported on questionable findings released in The Saving America’s Story report. Compiled by the White House, the report detailed multiple findings of leftist bias on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, as well as a lack of reference to the nation’s founding fathers or founding documents.
During the hearing, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., played clips of Hartig repeatedly implying that Americans are living on stolen land.
🚨 WATCH: Chairman @RepTimBurchett exposes the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History Director by playing a compilation of her own remarks implying Americans are illegitimately occupying their own country.
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 21, 2026
The video speaks for itself. pic.twitter.com/iOxXqenN7F
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Tex., referenced the NMAH’s Mass Action Toolkit that characterizes politeness and objectivity as “white supremacy culture.”
The Smithsonian's "MASS Action Toolkit" said that politeness is a "defining aspect of white supremacy culture."
— Brandon Gill (@realBrandonGill) July 21, 2026
I asked the Director of the National Museum of American History if that means she's a white supremacist. pic.twitter.com/VUrIeUEZWt
Hartig claimed that NMAH didn’t develop the materials. She also claimed that she is not a white supremacist, although she believes in being polite and that objectivity in teaching history is important.
I asked the Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History why her organization promoted a "MASS Action Toolkit" that claimed "objectivity" is an aspect of "white supremacy culture." pic.twitter.com/XXKZED5ivy
— Brandon Gill (@realBrandonGill) July 21, 2026
When questioned about NMAH’s display connecting Mickey Mouse to racial issues, Hartig claimed that Mickey Mouse was drawn to represent minstrel shows where blackface was displayed, but could not explain why the connection was made, stating, “It’s not for me to determine what’s problematic.”
The Smithsonian promoted an exhibit that claimed Mickey Mouse was racist.
— Brandon Gill (@realBrandonGill) July 21, 2026
I asked the Director of the National American History Museum why… pic.twitter.com/oY7Z9l4b7D
Numerous other questionable NMAH practices and displays were explored, regarding identity politics and other divisive materials, before which, the House Oversight Committee reminded Americans on X, “The Smithsonian receives over a billion annually in taxpayer dollars.”
Whether funding or NMAH leadership will be updated based on the hearing is currently unknown.
