Congress urged to intervene as Smithsonian faces accusations of left-wing bias

In testimony before Congress, Smithsonian Director Anthea Hartig rejected claims that the museum labels Mickey Mouse as a product of blackface minstrelsy, yet critics maintain that the exhibit "Entertainment Nation" pushes a radical reinterpretation of American history. Lawmakers cited the MASS Action Toolkit, which they say frames virtues like "politeness" as white-supremacist, and pointed to the integration of the 1619 Project into the National Museum of African American History and Culture as evidence of ideological bias.

They also highlighted the museum’s focus on figures such as Angela Davis and Stokely Carmichael, noting that only after protest was a portion of an exhibit dedicated to Justice Clarence Thomas added. Similar accusations were made about the historic homes of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Monticello and Montpelier, which critics say now serve left-leaning narratives on slavery. The White House’s Domestic Policy Council issued a report supporting the view that the Smithsonian has been captured by activist ideology, and Republican Rep. Brandon Gill urged Congress to intervene to restore a more traditional portrayal of the nation’s past.