These accusations are tied to an executive order signed in 2025 that tells officials to remove “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian’s exhibitions. The order gives the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator of General Services and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy the authority to use any available tools to enforce the policy and restore public trust.

By October, four seats on the Smithsonian’s board of regents will be vacant. Because board members are appointed by the president, the administration could fill those spots with people who share its view on museum content, giving it greater influence over the institution.

National Museum of American History director Anthea Hartig testified before a House subcommittee, defending the museum’s exhibits as educational rather than political. Her testimony shows how museum leaders are caught between scholarly work and political pressure, and why the administration frames the dispute as both a legal violation and an ideological problem.