The White House is threatening to withhold federal funding from the Smithsonian and has demanded documents in an internal review after a 162-page report accused the National Museum of American History of political activism.The report, prepared by the White House Domestic Policy Council under Vince Haley, accuses Anthea M. Hartig of linking museum research to activism and says exhibits minimize the Founding Fathers and core events of early American history.The
Smithsonian, led by
Lonnie Bunch, rejects the allegations and officials including
Josh Shapiro warn that using funding threats to enforce a particular national narrative will prompt legal challenges and undermine institutional independence.