JUST IN: Smithsonian Museum Director Grilled By Lawmakers In House Administration Committee

[0:03] the committee on house administration will come to order the title of today's hearing is oversight of [0:09] the smithsonian radical revisionism at the national museum of american history i note that a quorum is [0:15] present without objection the chair may declare recess at any time also without objection the [0:20] record will remain open for five legislative days so members may submit any additional materials [0:24] they wish to be included therein i now recognize myself for five minutes for the purpose of giving [0:32] an opening statement america has an incredible story to tell 250 years ago our forefathers declared [0:42] independence from the british empire and we won we launched into world history the first civilization [0:50] dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal our constitution established a [0:56] republican form of government with checks and balances that protect that proposition we fought [1:01] a civil war to preserve our union and finally free those in bondage since then we've revolutionized [1:07] technology liberated europe we planted the american flag on the moon the smithsonian national museum [1:14] of american history was established by congress to champion our story in 1953 the smithsonian told [1:23] congress the national american history museum will commemorate our heritage of freedom at the museum's [1:30] dedication in 1964 then president johnson said the museum would foster patriotism unfortunately today [1:40] the museum has shifted its focus to political activism but don't take my word for it one of our [1:46] witnesses today our witness dr anthony hartig the director of the museum dr hartig you said history [1:56] is a prime tool of social justice you believe your role as a historian is to connect quote research and [2:03] scholarship to activism and advocacy end quote your words you have said loving america is complicated [2:13] sadly it's not just rhetoric you've built that into the museum's exhibits you built it into the [2:21] website to convey an ideological narrative that denigrates our founders diminishes our achievements [2:27] and seeks to divide american people the authors of the domestic policy council report argued that [2:35] museum visitors should be warned and they said quote the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people [2:41] who don't want you to love our country end quote if you read the full detailed report as you should [2:48] or if you just walk into the museum it's hard not to agree with that conclusion but i'll conclude it's [2:56] i'll conclude this it's not only okay to love america it is great to love america it's true our history isn't perfect [3:05] we continue to strive to create a more perfect union but throughout our american history we have [3:11] striven people have died as our nation continues to move forward to our founding fathers goals to [3:18] create that more perfect union it does require introspection and honesty but it also requires gratitude [3:26] appreciation and celebration of how revolutionary the american experience has been and continues to be [3:34] the current focus of activism by leadership at the museum undermines that it's unacceptable that [3:40] american tax dollars are supporting divisive work it's time to allow the united states to speak for [3:46] itself when it's america that speaks for itself not the elites or npr the world loves america its success [3:54] our uniqueness its exceptionalism when the american story speaks for itself without ideological bias [4:01] political advocacy or woke talking points america is loved and admired it's time the american history [4:08] museum returned to its core founding mission when it was created fostering patriotism and telling our [4:15] story of achievement unfortunately the museum has strayed from that mission and that is the focus of [4:21] today's hearing i yield back and recognize the ranking member for five minutes for his opening statement [4:26] uh good morning thank you mr chairman and thank you to our witnesses for being here this morning let's [4:34] not kid ourselves we're we're here for one single reason because the president of the united states believes [4:40] he is entitled to determine what is true about america's past he is not to understand what is happening [4:47] at the smithsonian institution we need to step back because this is not where it started the president [4:53] has spent his term reaching into the institutions that keep our national memory [4:58] trying to bend them to his will he fired the archivist of the united states the keeper of the nation's [5:05] records without a stated reason he fired the librarian of congress claiming she put quote inappropriate [5:12] books in children's hands at a research library that doesn't even lend books to the public he purged [5:21] the kennedy center's board made himself chairman and renamed it for himself until a court deemed it illegal [5:28] he ordered exhibits about the horrors of slavery the horrors of slavery people owning other people [5:34] as property and stripped them from the national parks each time the same move take a best-in-class [5:42] institution built to serve the public and corrupt it into one that serves him the smithsonian is just [5:49] the latest in that long line in march of 2025 he issued a directive ordering the vice president to [5:56] remove improper ideology from the smithsonian and this month his white house issued a hyper-partisan [6:03] report portraying a museum beloved by millions of americans who come as annual visitors into one that [6:11] he says hates america perhaps some actual history would be useful here actual history the smithsonian is [6:19] not part of the executive branch congress created it in 1846 its 17 member board of regents is chaired by the [6:26] chief justice of the united states supreme court the president can neither appoint nor remove a single [6:32] regent the organization of american historians called the report that the white house produced an [6:37] effort to coerce the smithsonian into telling an inaccurate story that fits the president's political [6:43] agenda they're absolutely right when orwell wrote what whoever controls the past controls the future [6:50] he meant it as a warning the president took it as a mission statement we have seen this before [6:57] the soviet union airbrushed purged officials out of photographs until they vanished the tiananmen [7:03] square massacre appears nowhere in china's textbooks and is scrubbed from its internet in hungary the [7:10] recently ousted victor orban the man vice president vance called a model for the united states dictated [7:17] the history taught in its schools and we don't need to look abroad we don't even need to leave this room [7:23] this committee has developed a pattern donald trump reaches a conclusion unmoored from reality the [7:29] majority concocts a record to match and he uses that record as proof that congress agreed take january [7:37] 6th last congress this committee told the country the real wrongdoing wasn't the attack it was the [7:44] investigation a month later the president pardoned nearly 1600 people including those convicted of [7:51] assaulting police officers today the white house website cites this committee's report on a page [7:58] blaming capitol police for the violence occurred during an effort to have an insurrection and stop [8:05] the peaceful transfer of power in the united states it's shocking it's beyond shocking or take elections [8:13] this committee built a record on voter fraud that virtually does not exist witnesses without evidence [8:18] findings without proof which the president uses to undermine confidence in elections with claims that [8:25] crumble each day in our courts which brings us to today once again this committee is attempting to put [8:32] the congressional stamp of approval on one man's manufactured grievances in reality the smithsonian [8:39] already has the safeguards the president claims to be imposing a year ago the board of regents reaffirmed the [8:45] smithsonian would remain quote free from political or partisan influence end quote the secretary issued [8:52] a binding policy requiring all exhibits to be grounded in scholarship balanced and non-partisan the white [8:59] house report never mentions that before we appoint donald trump the de facto curator of american history [9:07] remember this is a man who looked at the world's preeminent museum complex and concluded its problem is [9:14] dwelling too much on i quote again how bad slavery was really mr president the owning of other people [9:23] as property and you're concerned that we're going to talk about how bad that was that's the problem a [9:30] president who still cannot admit that he lost the 2020 election a president whose white house issued a [9:38] self-contradictory report claiming the founders were erased from a museum displaying jefferson's desk [9:45] washington's uniform and the star-spangled banner a report that condemns exhibits about people i quote [9:53] foreign to the united states then names those foreigners mexican americans filipino americans in [10:00] other words americans the smithsonian is where a free nation tells its full story triumphs and struggles [10:08] the story belongs to no president it does not need saving from the historians who tell it it needs saving [10:15] from the ignorant ill-informed man on the other side of pennsylvania avenue and with that mr chair before i yield [10:22] back i would ask unanimous consent to enter the following into the record a copy of the report issued yesterday by the [10:27] committee democrats responding to the white house report a series of objects currently on display in the american history [10:33] museum's 250th anniversary exhibit including a 2024 trump campaign maga hat a pro gun rights button for the national rifle [10:43] association and an anti-abortion sign from a rally in washington dc it also entered the record a photo [10:49] from the american history museum gift shop taken yesterday featuring various busts of president trump [10:54] and multiple books written by or about president trump a statement from the organization of american [11:00] historians condemning the white house report a statement from the american alliance of museums about [11:05] smithsonian independence and finally an mbc news article dated august 19 2025 titled trump says the [11:12] smithsonian focus is too much on how bad slavery was i'd ask unanimous consent to enter those into [11:18] the record and with that sir i yield back without objection and without objection all other members [11:22] opening statements will be made part of the hearing record if they're submitted to the committee clerk by [11:26] 5 p.m today today we have a four witness panel we have dr anthea hartig director of the national museum [11:35] of american history of the smithsonian institution next we have mike gonzalez of the heritage foundation [11:42] followed by jeff anderson of the american main street initiative and finally david blight the sterling [11:49] professor of american history at yale university dr hartig you're recognized for five minutes to provide [11:55] an opening statement good morning chairman style ranking member morelli and members of the committee [12:05] thank you for the opportunity to be with you here today i welcome the chance to answer your questions [12:11] about the national museum of american history and the smithsonian institution and i appreciate the [12:17] committee's important oversight role as an historian i have spent my career studying teaching and preserving [12:25] the history of the united states my family has served this nation since the revolutionary war [12:32] and i was raised with a deep sense of obligation to this country and to the democratic ideals that [12:38] it asks each generation to uphold since 2019 i have been honored to serve as the elizabeth macmillan [12:46] director of your national museum of american history home of the star spangled banner it is a true honor [12:54] to serve alongside my devoted fellow public servants who staff the museum and i'm immensely proud of our work [13:02] of course congress created the smithsonian institution in 1846 with an aspirational mission for the [13:08] increase and diffusion of knowledge for all and as you know it's an independent trust instrumentality [13:15] outside the executive branch and governed by a board of regents that of course includes all three branches [13:21] and nines three branches and the nine citizens appointed by a joint resolution the smithsonian takes the [13:30] concerns raised in the white house domestic policy council's report seriously and as we continue to fact [13:37] check the report we unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full [13:45] body of work at the museum there is always room for improvement but i also know the beauty the [13:52] inspiration and the expertise that exists in our collections and our exhibitions and our programming [14:00] when a family walks through our doors free of charge as two million people did last year [14:06] they find the desk on which thomas jefferson drafted the declaration of independence [14:11] horatio greenhaler's magnificent statue of george washington abraham lincoln's top hat the greensboro [14:18] lunch counter the gowns of the first ladies and the stories of americans in uniform they find the [14:25] inventions that change the world and the ordinary americans who built it i have watched 10 year olds with [14:32] their families stand in front of the star spangled banner with their hands over their hearts no one [14:39] told them to that is the national museum of american history at its most powerful patriotism not instructed [14:49] but inspired our work is governed by the smithsonian standards of scholarship accuracy independence and [14:58] non-partisanship the museum does not take sides in america's political debates we preserve and [15:06] document the evidence of american life in all its breadth so that the public can encounter the past [15:13] and draw their own conclusions we are also always learning when visitors scholars members of congress [15:20] veterans teachers tell us we've gotten something wrong or only half right we take it seriously and we [15:27] make changes when the evidence supports it and when historians talk about reframing a traditional [15:34] narrative we do not mean erasing it we mean adding the evidence the voices the objects that earlier [15:41] tellings left out so that more americans can see themselves in the national story we honor the declaration [15:50] the revolution the constitution our national symbols and we tell the truth about the times in which [15:56] the country fell short of its own founding ideals telling our history fully is a form of respect for [16:05] the american people and a commitment to constantly being in pursuit of that perfect union i hope that [16:14] you will judge the museum the way the american people do by what's on its walls and what's in its care [16:21] please accept our sincere invitation to come visit walk the building with me stand in front of the star [16:28] spangled banner in awe i believe what you shall find is not an institution that has forgotten its country but [16:36] one that loves it enough to tell the full sweep of our history the triumphs and the struggles i love the [16:43] united states of america i consider it the privilege of my career to help preserve its treasures and to [16:50] serve the american people i'm very grateful for the committee's work and happy to be here with you today [16:57] thank you sir thank you very much uh mr gonzalez you're recognized for five minutes chairman ranking [17:04] member members of this committee thank you for the opportunity to testify i'm a senior fellow at [17:10] the heritage foundation the views i express in this testimony are my own in 1964 as you mentioned [17:16] at chairman styles at the opening what was later to be renamed the national museum of american history [17:21] president johnson said the purpose of the museum was to quote foster patriotism director kellogg [17:27] noted that the museum would quote awaken awaken a clear understanding of this inspiring story [17:33] of the united states 62 years later the history museum is failing to do any of this instead of [17:39] highlighting important parts of american history such as the founding the current leadership of the [17:44] history museum chooses to focus on showcasing american history as one that is problematic destructive [17:50] and oppressive the museum leaders use this institution to promote a marxist and gramscian view of the world [17:57] that sees everything as a battle between oppressors and the oppressed this is why it has an entire [18:03] center devoted to something called restorative history the history museum even has education plans [18:10] that target students in pre-k through third grade to indoctrinate them on open borders and lgbtq matters [18:17] pre-k i'll cut to the chase yesterday in a separate hearing also on the smithsonian i called for you [18:23] in congress to work with the board of regents to dismiss the entire leadership of the smithsonian [18:28] i also called and do so again now for you to deauthorize the yet to be built latino museum [18:33] which will also become an incubator for anti-american grievances present leadership can now make the [18:39] changes that are needed to correct horse secretary lonnie bunch the third anthia hardig the director [18:44] of the history museum and one of today's witnesses and other museum leaders have commandeered the world's [18:50] largest museum complex and tell us themselves that they intend to use it as a tool for societal transformation [18:56] this is not why america's entrust entrusted these institutions to them national museums are [19:01] repositories of a nation's collective inheritance so that it can be transmitted to future generations [19:07] the leadership is the entity at fault here it is they who set the standards and guide the staff [19:14] in one example the leadership of the history museum for years made staff take part in a reading group [19:20] to discuss the museum as a site for social action toolkit also called a mass to action toolkit that [19:27] alleges that objectivity quote i'm quoting here objectivity individualism perfectionism worship of [19:33] the written word and other traits are characteristics of white supremacy culture this is revolting in [19:40] fact the smithsonian itself publicly agreed it was it apologized in 2020 after the national museum of [19:46] african-american history and culture exhibited a chart with this nonsense outraging the public the museum [19:52] leadership issued a statement saying we aired in including the chart we have removed it and we [19:57] apologize at yesterday's hearing director hardig said the smithsonian didn't develop the toolkit but [20:03] the toolkit was co-authored by half a dozen current and former smithsonian employees and dr hardig's [20:08] museum kept surreptitiously indoctrinating staff with this trash for three years after the museum [20:14] apologized for using it which shows the promises of reform are written in sand but wait there's more [20:19] it just so happens that it was lonnie bunch who called for these trainings when he was co-chair [20:24] of the excellence in dei task force this 2022 report by the task force um co-chaired by by secretary [20:34] bunch and which bears his name calls for staff to receive formal education on dei and calls for [20:40] leadership to create training forums it praises the mass action toolkit as offering quote good resources to [20:47] start to start this work but wait there's more lonnie bunch himself agrees with this racist nonsense [20:53] the report calls to quote shift leaders and museum professionals a weight away from white dominant [21:01] characteristics of perfection risk aversion and conflict avoidance unquote does anyone in this [21:08] committee believe that perfection is a white characteristic the man who runs the museum apparently does [21:14] this insanity has gone on long enough once again i call on congress to do its duty and take back the [21:20] smithsonian from a rogue leadership that now uses it as their own plaything for dangerous ideological [21:25] games loving america is not complicated mr chairman thank you thank you dr anderson you're recognized for [21:35] five minutes chairman style ranking member morelli and members of the committee thank you for the [21:40] opportunity to testify today the national museum of american history is perhaps the most important museum in [21:46] america yet rather than depicting american history traditionally and conventionally as the glorious [21:53] and inspiring though imperfect story of a nation conceived in liberty it depicts it as a history [21:58] of oppressors versus the oppressed with most traditional american heroes portrayed as oppressors [22:04] when not condemning our history it simply ignores huge swaths of it as chairman style and mr [22:10] gonzalez noted at the museum's dedication president johnson said its artifacts should be used to foster [22:16] patriotism director anthea hartig seems like a very nice lady we just met a moment ago in the waiting room [22:23] but in marked contrast to johnson she has said at the national museum of american history we want to [22:28] reframe the traditional celebratory narrative of u.s history she has also spoken of the need to problematize [22:36] the 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence and as chairman style noted has opined that loving america [22:43] is very complicated increasingly the national museum of american history isn't a museum about american [22:49] history but rather about activists attempts to shape the future indeed smithsonian secretary lonnie [22:56] bunch has said museums should be used to inspire new generations of activists the newer exhibits at the [23:02] american history museum are not nuanced but simplistic viewing our rich history through the narrow lens of [23:08] oppression the exhibits open under director hartig are heavy-handed artless agenda-driven and dumbed down [23:15] worse they're anti-american anti-historical and disunifying they focus on group identity at the [23:21] expense of the shared national identity that lincoln said should be built around a common belief in our [23:26] founding documents and principles further dividing americans in the museum's newer displays every sign in [23:32] english is paired with one in spanish as a result exhibits are cluttered with words with no additional [23:38] information conveyed the museum says little about the colonial period the american founding the louisiana [23:45] purchase and lewis and clark expedition the lincoln-douglas debates on slavery the pioneers and settlers of [23:50] the american west the roaring 20s the great depression the cold war and much else instead it features [23:56] exhibits on such matters as really big money which discusses large almost entirely foreign currency [24:02] here we learn that the tail feather of a male quetzel bird is 21 inches long and those living in mexico and [24:08] central america once used quetzel tail feathers to make payments in a large exhibit on low riding culture we [24:14] learn as the song low rider plays on a loop the low riding is more than blinged more than blinged out [24:19] cars it's a way of life another exhibit open during this 250th year of american independence is called [24:25] piroritmo the musical journey of salsa it's actually a close call whether more of the museum's square [24:31] footage is devoted to salsa music or to the american founding but salsa is presented a lot more favorably [24:38] in the american democracy exhibit the museum presents two ways to view our nation's founding [24:42] was it a complete perfect sacred event led by a great patriot who as american children would learn [24:47] never told a lie presumably not so that leaves this or was it part of a wider unfinished movement that [24:53] was deeply imperfect across the hall 1492 to 1776 is referred to as the time of unsettling the continent [25:02] meanwhile the entire east wing of the second floor roughly one-sixth of the museum contains no exhibits [25:07] whatsoever it's essentially empty visitors can vote with their feet and many have the american alliance and [25:14] museums says 2024 attendance at a majority of u.s museums matched or surpassed pre-covid levels [25:20] but at the american history museum according to the smithsonian's own published statistics there were [25:25] 4.1 million visits in 2018 but just 1.8 million in 2025 a 56 percent drop in visits on director hartig's [25:33] watch last fall john fonte and i had the chance to interview ken burns when i asked who came off as [25:39] the greatest hero in his documentary the american revolution burns replied oh without a question it's [25:44] george washington we don't have a country without him none of that sentiment appears in the newer [25:49] exhibits of the national museum of america american history that's because such exhibits aren't designed [25:55] by old school liberals by centrists or by conservatives they're designed by woke activists woke revolutionaries [26:02] who don't believe in the ideals of the american revolution such activists want to fundamentally [26:07] transform the nation and are using the museum to that end china iran or russia would happily finance [26:12] such anti-americanism in our national museums but they don't have to because american taxpayers are [26:18] unwittingly footing the bill it's past time for change of leadership at the smithsonian thank you [26:25] thank you dr blight you're recognized for five minutes uh thank you mr chairman and uh ranking [26:34] member and members of of the committee it's a rare chance for a lowly historian to be invited to defend [26:43] his craft before congress and it's also a great privilege to sit next to my predecessor as president [26:50] of the organization of american historians which anthony hartig was as historians we often dwell [26:58] in the past professionally we should in spring 2025 with the president's executive order restoring truth [27:07] and sanity to american history and now with the white house report saving america's story the present has [27:16] come storming into our work lives with a vengeance and we welcome the challenge the present is inherently [27:24] interwoven with the past like it or not the white house now believes it should pronounce on the nature [27:31] of history and the presentation of the nation's treasures at the smithsonian the recent report by the [27:37] white house domestic policy council is nothing less than a declaration of political war on the [27:44] historian's profession as well as on the freedom and curiosity of anyone who reads or visits museums [27:54] in other words president trump has declared war on free minds and free education historians are not [28:03] voices for the state we are keepers of memory at our best we are storytellers with trained imaginations [28:13] that white house council contains not a single person trained in history and yet they declare [28:19] with such certainty what forms of and these are their words heritage destiny settled truths and indeed [28:28] stories that the smithsonian should in one of their favorite verbs instill in the minds of the public [28:36] historians are now fighting back in the interest of scholarly history well told for the broadest possible [28:44] public ours is a beautiful and ancient craft it's essential for any society's need for self-understanding [28:53] we are equipped with a host of modern methods but guided ethically by some very old rules that no [29:00] authoritarian political movement ought to ever be allowed to profane a historian reads and listens [29:09] searches measures imagines his or her way into and through all manner of evidence facts sometimes clear [29:18] and sometimes slanted every which way we examine and we read and we accumulate and sift and study all these [29:25] modes of evidence with hopefully empathy and humility then we rise from all of our data and our sources and all [29:34] manner of context and we fashion it into a story in order to inspire and take our audiences somewhere [29:44] and once we get them there we are bound by our craft to make an argument about why this all happened [29:55] and why it matters people often comment about how trumpism would like to return us to some version of [30:02] the 1950s when america was deemed great in this report they have transparently done exactly that the report [30:10] is rooted explicitly in the founding of the national museum of american history in the cold war of the [30:18] 1950s in its dedication speeches and so forth the founding words and sentiments are quite understandably [30:27] breathing a kind of rhetoric of cold war triumphalism how could it not have the report offers no context [30:35] for what might have invoked such expressions the soviet achievement of the hydrogen bomb sputnik [30:41] the korean war the cuban missile crisis the march on washington and the assassination of president kennedy [30:48] had the domestic council domestic policy council consulted trained historians they might have provided [30:54] such context they might also have consulted edward r murrow's famous commentary in 1954 on joseph [31:03] mccarthy and his assaults on free speech we can deny our heritage and our history said morrow [31:10] but we cannot escape responsibility for its results erase mccarthyism and it will come back triumphalist [31:19] history cannot tolerate nuance ambiguity complexity but they are the lifeblood for real historians [31:28] also in a deep cold war context james baldwin james baldwin wrote in 1962 in an essay entitled as much [31:35] truth as one can bear that the problem of the way americans approach history is that his words words [31:44] are mostly used to cover the sleeper but not to wake him up mr blight your your time has expired your [31:52] full testimony will be inserted into the record we thank you that sentence but we'll we'll let you [31:58] let you finish your sentence we do not write woke history whatever that is but we do try to awaken [32:05] citizens in recent decades we sowed a wind and now we're reaping the whirlwind thank you thank you mr [32:14] blight uh thank you all for your testimony today i'll begin questions followed by the ranking member i [32:21] now recognize myself for five minutes um director hartig uh do you believe that the american history museum [32:29] should be politically neutral yes sir do you do you believe that the american history museum should [32:41] advocate uh for contemporary political or social causes no sir the american history museum does not [32:49] advocate do you think the american history museum should avoid the appearance of bias absolutely do you [32:56] believe uh that one of your roles um is connecting research and scholarship to advocacy and an [33:05] activism no sir i do not you you do you want to be clear on this you don't believe that one of your [33:12] roles is connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy i believe perhaps you're quoting [33:18] from some of my public speeches yeah 2020 university of california riverside virtual lecture which you said [33:27] that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy you you said that in [33:34] 2020 and so i just want to be clear on the record that in the the video that i watched uh this 2020 [33:40] online uh you can watch it on youtube everybody at home will put it up uh for folks but you're now [33:46] saying that you don't believe that that is one of your roles is your position changed on this topic [33:51] i thank you i better understand your line of querying um i think what's important for me is that [33:57] not now what's i i i only have five minutes i just want to be direct you just real clear [34:02] you you just answered my question differently than you answered it five years ago which is [34:07] positions can change so i just want to understand in 2020 did you believe that you're that one of [34:13] your roles one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy in 2020 did [34:18] you believe that so one of the rules of an historian just yes or no i mean in in 2020 it was real real [34:26] straightforward in for the record you said this so it should be an easy yes it shouldn't be complicated [34:31] on my side but maybe it's complicated on your side in 2020 i'm not even asking what you believe today [34:36] in 2020 did you believe that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship with advocacy [34:42] and activism yes one of the key things a historian does especially at the national museum of american [34:48] history is to tie threads together yeah i'm just gonna i'm gonna just note your filibustering on the [34:54] answer you you said it so i'm gonna in 2020 you said it so i'm gonna assume in 2020 you believed it [34:59] unless you said things you don't believe so in 2025 in 2026 as we sit here today i'll ask you for [35:06] the record one additional time today do you believe that one of your roles is connecting research and [35:10] scholarship to act activism and advocacy as a historian i believe that intellectually we can [35:18] connect those two together absolutely so you think that so so it is one of your roles [35:23] uh as a historian absolutely to be an activist no sir one of your roles as a historian is to go ahead [35:36] one of my roles as a historian and the director of the national museum of american history is to help [35:41] connect the long history of activism and advocacy on all topics from gun rights to identity to immigration [35:52] that is a connection that i make and do you think that that is important to show that advocacy and [35:57] activism at the national history museum i believe our work is grounded in rigorous scholarship and that [36:04] we often will connect both our objects and two million that we share with the american people to the [36:10] major so i'm sure it's trying to help me help me help me square this you think that you the american [36:16] history museum should not advocate for political or social causes you just said that you think it should be [36:21] politically neutral we also also are stating that one of your core roles is connecting research [36:28] in scholarship to add activism and advocacy one of the core roles i mean do you support activism and [36:37] advocacy or do you think your goal at the museum should be neutral our goal at the museum is to educate [36:45] all americans and everyone who comes through our door free of charge to persuade them our goal is to [36:51] educate them about the history of the united states in a neutral way absolutely do you think you noted [36:58] in your statement that you love america i love america too for me that's not complicated do you believe [37:03] loving america is complicated my personal belief is that loving america is not complicated but as an [37:11] historian i can tell you that over time it has been very complicated for many people so for you loving [37:17] america is not complicated it's unconditional i appreciate your testimony here today i yield back [37:23] i'll recognize the ranking member for five minutes thank you i'm not sure my mic is on sorry this is the [37:36] microphone i don't take this off my five minutes the microphones here are awful anyway um thank you mr [37:43] chair for uh yielding i want to just before i get to my questions to make an observation um mr gonzalez talked [37:52] about george washington who i considered uh the greatest american and set precedence in his presidency [37:57] his decision to relinquish his command after the revolutionary war is some of the greatest acts of [38:05] not only of history of but set enormous precedence for this country but you know what in 1754 uh george [38:16] washington under his first command led an ill-fated um command that was disastrous that ended up in defeat [38:22] and surrender for necessity i didn't really learn that until much later in my life by the way that [38:28] didn't change my view of george washington just reminded me that we're all humans that we have [38:33] successes and failures and actually that lets us recognize a world multi-dimensional by the same [38:39] token i think about the dual nature at our founding and i may get this wrong from memory we hold these [38:45] truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain [38:52] inalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness one of the greatest [38:56] walter isaacson wrote a book the greatest sentence ever written but the dual nature of it is while [39:02] we're talking about rights that are inalienable given to us by god our creator we still denied them [39:09] to black americans who were enslaved and owned by other people that at the same time all of my [39:16] counterparts many on both sides had no rights at all as women so it's a dual nature yes we celebrate [39:22] it's extraordinary but boy how could we not call that complicated i love america unconditionally [39:29] but i recognize we have our challenges that is actually what history is about and by the way i [39:34] think we learn more and do better by our failures and what we learn from them by our successes that's [39:39] true in baseball it's true in legislating it's true in just about everything that is the nature of what [39:45] history teaches us it's fundamental to what we do um so i you know and and by the way i love my wife on [39:52] unconditionally i don't always agree with her shockingly and i hope she's not watching this [39:56] because i'll get in trouble but unconditional love is like that and our understanding of where we've been [40:03] and where we should go should be informed by the entire complete history that's what i love about the [40:09] smithsonian you do something extraordinary world-class extraordinary and i i'm i'm biased um i'm also biased [40:18] by the work of dr blight for his incredible uh biography of frederick douglas who uh you know [40:25] did much of his work in the city of rochester new york for which i'm incredibly proud but um i do want [40:31] to give you a moment just to clarify to the chairman's question dr harding i i to be clear i don't think you [40:40] said you were promoting social activism i thought what the uh but the point you were trying to make was [40:45] tying together the elements of our history so that you better understand social activism in all of [40:52] its forms i don't want to put words in your mouth but i do want to give you a moment um to just fully [40:57] answer that and at least make me believe if what you were saying is what the way i interpret what you [41:01] said thank you for that opportunity sir you are you are correct and i think that one of the key [41:11] roles of that the museum can do is to connect those tissues i would also offer that my words five [41:19] years ago are not museum policy there are my spoken words as would any of us be lecturing or sharing [41:28] comments to audiences so i think that when you look at the the depth of the collection we started kind [41:36] of contemporarily collecting uh all social movements starting with dr king's march on washington [41:42] so we have a phenomenal collection thank you yeah i don't mean to cut you short but i i i i appreciate [41:49] that i cannot ask uh dr blight uh a question that doesn't relate to frederick douglas so thank you for [41:55] your work and i talked about his connection to rochester which i'm incredibly proud of what would he say [42:00] about this report uh that instructs the national museum of american history uh which parts of the story [42:07] it's permitted to tell can you channel having spent so much time on him we can try uh and do [42:13] it in 30 seconds sorry cut to the he would cut to the chase he might go to the middle of his fourth [42:20] of july speech where he took his audience through a litany of all of the horrors from the slave from the [42:28] hold of a slave ship through a slave auction to the slaves experience on plantations where he through [42:36] language and words made his audience feel that experience in their senses and then he would say [42:44] if you erase this there is no country left thank you and and i i appreciate that and as i yield back i [42:51] just but i wasn't able to ask him i'm not sure no no but i think that's i appreciate your scholarship on [42:57] the subject and uh as i said we only learn by learning the entire truth not the parts that make us feel good [43:04] about ourselves so anyway i yield back thank you gentleman yields back the gentlewoman from florida [43:09] uh representative lee is recognized for five minutes thank you mr chairman and thank you to our witnesses [43:16] for being here today this is indeed an important hearing i want to start with this it was said earlier [43:25] today that president trump wants our parks and museums to tell an inaccurate story of american history [43:36] so i believe it's uncommon upon us to begin by actually thinking about the story of american history [43:43] and whether what we pursue here today is in fact in any way inaccurate we've learned that the museum has [43:55] a number of directives goals uh things that we've heard about this morning [44:01] uh you know one of which in our materials is the interpretive plan uh to frame exhibits and curate [44:08] exhibits whatever the topic to include a discussion of things such as race and identity gender and [44:15] sexuality environmental change immigration economic inequality and so i'd like to start with you mr gonzalez [44:26] and get back to the idea of what is an accurate or inaccurate story of american history would it be an [44:37] inaccurate presentation of american history if our museum instead made an effort to present to those who [44:47] came to see it an interpretation that involved our founding documents like the declaration of independence [44:55] the constitution the separation of powers would that be an inaccurate telling of american history to focus [45:02] on those things uh uh representative lee no it wouldn't i uh actually agreed with almost everything [45:09] uh representative morelli said except until the part you got to the smithsonian i think all of history [45:14] should be presented the horrors of slavery the the the absolute blight that this was in our history but [45:20] also the fact that this the founders created this system to deal with it that that men marched you [45:27] know to the tune the battle hymn of the republic saying as he died to make men whole men holy we shall [45:34] let us die to make them free that if that that that inspiring story also needs to be part of the horrors [45:39] of slavery correct not just our failures and our shortcomings but also the efforts that were made [45:45] to correct them and now what about this would it also be an important part of american history to [45:50] celebrate american innovation enterprise scientific achievement and economic opportunity absolutely [45:57] yes would it also be an appropriate thing for our institutions and our museums to be focusing on [46:03] the military service sacrifice and defense of freedom that we have seen in our country throughout history [46:08] they should be presented as well their triumphs and they the curators in the museum should not go out [46:14] of its way every time to smear every one of these triumphs and a note on the curators [46:20] i note in your written testimony that one of the things that you presented for our consideration [46:24] was an assessment of the political party affiliation of museum directors and curators in america would [46:31] it be accurate to say that not just the majority the vast majority of museum directors curators [46:38] conservatories historians and administrators are actually democrats yes that is a burden lab study which [46:46] shows quite how much to the left all the professions really related to museums are but it's the job of [46:52] leadership to guide them to check their biases it is in in fact the leadership of the simpsonian has [46:58] been doing exactly the opposite has been training them not to check their bias but to act on their biases [47:05] and to your knowledge is there any objective metric standard audit outside group that is considering the [47:11] presentation of these exhibits and whether in fact bias exists um yes i believe private individuals have [47:20] tried to do private individuals but not within the museum well the administration did ask the smithsonian [47:26] to cooperate with an audit and the smithsonian pretty much refused it refused to hand over the [47:31] materials that they were at that that had been asked for it handed some things but not to the degree [47:37] that that that rose vote that omb and vince haley at the at the domestic policy council had asked for [47:43] now a question for you dr hartig since 2019 you have donated to political advocacy groups and campaigns [47:52] over 350 times according to information pulled from the fec uh is that correct ma'am i am not here whoops [48:04] is that on ma'am my political beliefs or my political contributions are not relevant to this [48:13] conversation and of these hundreds of donations since you've been leading the museum have all of [48:17] them occurred while you were off duty and off of government premises on in your private time [48:22] i adhere completely to the hatch act so the answer is yes all right thank you mr chairman i yield back [48:27] the gentleman yields back representative sewell is recognized for five minutes thank you mr chairman [48:31] i want to thank our witnesses for being here today our country has a remarkable history of [48:36] unparalleled accomplishments not because our past is exempt from injustice but because the people of [48:42] this country have remained committed to our founding ideals of liberty equality and and democracy [48:50] despite extraordinary struggles to achieve full rights no one understands that better than the [48:57] people of my district alabama's seventh congressional district which includes the historic cities of [49:02] birmingham tuscaloosa my hometown of selma alabama the valiant efforts of foremothers and forefathers of my [49:10] district gave rise to the civil rights movement the voting rights movement their protest and direct [49:17] political action brought this country much closer to living up to its creed of liberty life and the pursuit [49:24] of happiness their sacrifices led to the enactment of both the civil rights act of 1964 [49:30] and the voting rights act of 1965 we're incredibly proud of that but we also know that this country [49:37] according to its own preamble in the constitution is in pursuit of a more perfect union our founding [49:45] fathers acknowledged that we were not there and i think that today we can acknowledge that we're [49:50] still not there but i can tell you that the arc of the moral universe does bend towards justice it just [49:57] doesn't bend by itself it takes the courage of americans to live up to to make this nation live up to its [50:05] highest ideals of equality and justice for all these are cherished values of america i too love this country [50:16] unconditionally but i can tell you that that is hard sometimes when you hear and read about how we treated [50:24] the four founders of this country who were indians when you read about and understand that our history [50:31] is very complicated and as historians i think that the fact of the matter is the smithsonian and other [50:37] historians as dr blight just said um they do an incredible job of trying to tell the truth and the [50:45] truth is the whole truth not just the parts that make us feel good i'm proud of the work that is being [50:52] done by the smithsonian institute to preserve our nation's history in my district i appreciate that [50:57] the smithsonian affiliate the birmingham civil rights institute which keeps the stories of birmingham [51:03] and the civil rights movement alive for future generations to learn and enrich from these are [51:08] important institutions now this administration's crusade to take control of the quote american history [51:15] museum i think is not only dangerous it's perilous on march 27th 2025 the president issued his executive [51:25] order entitled restoring truth and sanity to the american history however this administration is not [51:32] restoring truth and sanity to american history on the contrary it's creating an untruth sanitation of [51:40] american history now professor blight in a guest essay that you published in the new york times [51:46] you mentioned how the white house uh domestic policy report is not a document about history it is a [51:53] product of a racial and political ideology in search of history that no longer bears sanity i mean [52:00] scrutiny that no longer bears scrutiny can you please expose on that statement a bit more for us and can [52:06] you explain why this administration is risk by risking by tampering with history is risking a historical [52:14] record record that is not correct as in other places in the past where governments and states [52:21] have tried to control history what they are really doing is trying to control thought free speech [52:28] that sounds uh reminiscent of fascism well you use that word that's fine there have been plenty [52:36] other examples uh what what do authoritarian regimes do first they assault libraries archives [52:44] schools universities cultural institutions this is an old old record and we don't have to just go to [52:51] the 1930s to find it um this hearing indeed has the word revisionism in its title i wonder if you understand [53:01] what a fat pitch that is for historians all history is revision the first revisionist was herodotus yes [53:10] 2 500 years ago would you prefer your doctors not to be revisionist do you want to go to a pediatrician [53:20] who's not a revisionist who hasn't learned anything new since her his or her first training we revise [53:27] because it's our job it always will be um thank you for putting that word in your title thank you for [53:37] all the work that you do to make sure that this country's history uh is not just the history of what [53:43] makes us feel good but is a complete history of the wonderfulness that is american gentleman yields [53:50] back uh gentleman from georgia representative laudermunk is recognized thank you mr chairman very [53:56] important hearing more important than a lot of other things that we do up here um mr gonzalez [54:03] you mentioned uh something that mr morelli said and i agree with that um uh it's it's important to [54:10] reveal all aspects of our past good bad indifferent um and allow individuals to really draw their own [54:18] inspiration and conclusion of that do you agree with that oh yeah absolutely yeah okay um let me ask you [54:26] this is it possible to reshape or as the word that we've heard here reframe uh the truth of our past by [54:35] only highlighting one aspect or displaying one aspect of it and not the entirety yes it is and [54:44] i believe that's what the leadership of the smithsonian is doing and they're telling us they're doing it [54:48] okay thank you um mr anderson we've heard uh there's my colleague over here and friend mr morelli [54:54] adequately quoted the second line of the declaration of independence and we've heard how that has been [55:00] a focus especially during the 250 anniversary and that is incredible there's other aspects [55:06] of that incredible document uh that are important too to our past and one of that is the last line [55:13] of the declaration that says and in support of this declaration with a firm alliance on the protection [55:19] of divine providence faith played a huge role in the beliefs and the founding of our nation do you [55:28] agree with that absolutely do you see that that aspect of our founding and through various aspects [55:35] of our past is also adequately displayed within our museums no it's essentially invisible by the [55:42] stone copy of the declaration of independence a very valuable object in the museum uh the words [55:48] endowed by their creator are taken out of the reference to the declaration of independence a key [55:53] part um the freedom of religion such a cute huge aspect of our constitution of the first amendment [56:00] not discussed at all in that uh relatively paltry section of the museum that deals with the american [56:05] founding um so there's another aspect of this and uh it's interesting because as a historian myself [56:13] who's also published books on american history um today we go to the archives and we're going to see [56:20] the original copy of the declaration that was passed by congress um in 1776 and there's 27 grievances [56:28] however true history is there were 28 grievances listed in the original draft of the declaration [56:33] the 28th grievance being a harsh condemnation of slavery in the slave trade um it's hard to find [56:40] that in in any of the museums that i have been going to have have you seen that that aspect of the efforts [56:51] to abolish the evils of slavery actually began in the very beginning of our nation no i have not seen [56:56] that represented and it is hugely important i agree in jefferson's draft of the declaration of [57:01] independence he talks about he leaves his harshest condemnation for the kings he accuses him of keeping [57:07] open the slave trade keeping the colonists from uh limiting it and he talks about how he's determined [57:13] to keep open a market where men should be bought and sold and he puts men in all caps m-e-n [57:19] making no question of the fact that he views the slaves as men as human beings obviously including [57:26] female slaves as well this is a huge aspect of of our history and our thought and and to go beyond [57:31] that i would argue that as much as i mean i agree with everything that's been said about the need to [57:35] tell the good and the bad about our history but i would also say that our founding generation probably [57:39] did more to overcome and eliminate slavery in this country than any other one except for the one that [57:45] spilled blood during the civil war wouldn't that be an important story i think to tell especially our [57:50] children i think it's a hugely important story all right thank you dr harding do you believe it is the [57:55] role of museum to objectively display the history of the united states or subjectively interpret our [58:01] past to shape the thoughts beliefs and understanding of future generations thank you sir i i believe that [58:09] the role of the national museum of american history joined by many other history museums is to present [58:15] scholarly evidence based on objects interpretation and share those stories with the american people do you [58:22] do you believe it's important to show the entire story the whole story to present all sides you know [58:31] i think especially about the revolution if i may we have a dozen exhibitions that include the founding era [58:38] right now 368 objects 340 labels george washington is mentioned 54 times you have to walk by a whole section on [58:47] george washington and the kenneth baring hall of military history to get to a 15-foot-tall reproduction [58:54] of the declaration of independence my time is expired i yield back gentlemen yields uh representative [59:01] johnson is recognized for five minutes thank you mr chairman um we must all ensure that our history is not [59:08] rewritten by one political party or an administration american history belongs to all of us it belongs to [59:16] indigenous communities across this country striving for self-determination it belongs to the abolitionists [59:22] who challenged slavery to the suffragists who fought for women's rights to vote and to the [59:26] immigrants who've committed who've contributions have shaped our nation's greatest achievements and to [59:31] so many more history is not meant to fit a political narrative a history of a record of who we are [59:37] and what we continue to strive for it only belongs to the american people while american history [59:43] includes extraordinary achievements remarkable innovation and tremendous courage it is every [59:47] generation's responsibility to ensure that our nation's darkest chapters are not rewritten but [59:53] instead inspire honest discussion reflection and a deep commitment to self-correction our institutions [59:59] museums archives and historical records have an obligation to the truth and to ensure that every [1:00:05] american understands that this country in what we are inheriting the promise of america the promise of [1:00:11] freedom is our willingness to learn from our darkest moments right now we are seeking seeing an [1:00:17] unprecedented level of attacks from republicans and the trump administration towards independent [1:00:22] institutions challenging historians educators archivists and those who are entrusted to protect our [1:00:29] democracy beginning in january 2025 with trump's executive orders that closed diversity offices promoted [1:00:35] language and content changes on government websites with states like texas following along [1:00:40] removals of references to trump's impeachments in the american history museum published white house [1:00:45] reviews of smithsonian exhibits including lists of what it finds objectionable and lastly accusations [1:00:51] that the american history history museum is denigrating white male christian history this administration [1:00:58] is obsessed with ideologically influencing historically accurate interpretations of american history let me set [1:01:05] the record straight american history should be interpreted analyzed differently over time [1:01:10] and debated endlessly the importance of these museums is to invoke a sense of curiosity or debate perhaps [1:01:16] most importantly a reckoning of what history means to us especially when we disagree [1:01:22] but this president has sought to erase from history the contributions and strengths of women of black people [1:01:28] hispanic people of indigenous people and basically imposing a racist sense of historical impact on the evolution of our country [1:01:36] there is a long list of concerns about this administration's of executive overreach [1:01:41] but today we're focusing on the american history museum and i am deeply offended by some of the comments that some of the [1:01:48] panelists have said today that for example mr gonzalez to imply that the congress needs to deauthorize the latino [1:01:56] museum because for it to become it will become an incubator of anti-american forces that is the most outrageous statement i have ever heard [1:02:06] by a witness by a witness and a panel in this building that to celebrate the latino history of this country [1:02:12] becomes anti-american that is ridiculous and to state that that the museums have a marxist view of the world [1:02:25] and restrictive history that is just not accurate and i think that you are your attempts to come into this [1:02:33] building and say these statements to the american people is outrageous and it is offensive on history [1:02:41] and it's offensive on what this proceeding is all about you know the reality of it is this administration [1:02:50] doesn't like the fact that history is accurate is portraying him you know he was impeached by the congress [1:02:59] and that needs to be that is part of our history that truth is there and it's unfortunate that he doesn't like it [1:03:07] you know miss hartig i am sorry you're facing such attacks the american history museum brings delight [1:03:16] to families all across this country i've taken my own kids there the exhibits are fantastic and you know [1:03:26] it's unfortunate that we're having this attack in this history but what are the risks to our democracy [1:03:31] when historical institutions lose their independence and the public confidence thank you ma'am i think that [1:03:40] this committee especially with its oversight duties which i appreciate greatly understands intimately that for [1:03:49] the last 180 years the structure of the smithsonian as an independent agency you know dedicated to [1:03:56] scholarship interpretation education in science and history and the arts is such that this the structure is [1:04:05] working and i think that the fear certainly is that to change that dynamic and to lessen that independence [1:04:15] yeah unfortunately i ran out of time i agree with you that the independence is paramount mr chairman i yield [1:04:21] back gentlewoman yields uh representative griffith is recognized for five minutes let me say mr chairman [1:04:27] from the get-go that i'm i always tell folks i'm for additive history not subtractive history put more out there [1:04:34] not less but you do need to tell the main story but before i get into some questions i had on that [1:04:39] mr gonzalez you were mentioned by name by the previous uh uh questioner did you want to respond in any way [1:04:47] yes thank you for the opportunity i agree with representative johnson wholeheartedly that history is not meant [1:04:52] to fit a political narrative it is doing that now and we need to address that and that's the reason why i [1:04:58] welcome this hearing thank you for letting me answer absolutely thank you dr anderson i was shocked [1:05:04] quite frankly shocked and i want you to explain a little bit if you could in your written testimony [1:05:08] and in your oral testimony you said the national museum of american history says little to nothing [1:05:13] or has says little to nothing to say about a wide range of major events in american history [1:05:18] the colonial period they don't have much on the colonial period no sir you know because one of my [1:05:24] complaints is that in the murals in the in the capital they get it wrong they've got uh pocahontas mary and [1:05:32] john roth after the pilgrims uh are landing uh at plymouth rock and and pocahontas was dead i had gone [1:05:41] to great britain got a fever had a baby uh and was dead before the plymouth uh puritans ever showed up [1:05:48] and they don't have any of that discussed in any way that that you know jamestown and all that was there [1:05:54] and and note i come from the western part of virginia but we're still proud of virginia history [1:05:59] but i probably represent the largest number of uh descendants of pocahontas because they moved west [1:06:05] there's very little there i mean you really have to hunt for it yeah uh you've already talked about [1:06:11] the american founding but the louisiana purchase and the explorations by lewis and clark very little [1:06:16] on that there's one wall it's a partial wall um that's all i've seen on that it says next to nothing [1:06:23] and and to go back to the founding for a second um dr hartick spoke about how there are a dozen [1:06:28] exhibits to deal with the founding i mean you could put everything in the museum that's talked about [1:06:32] that mentions the founding into the rooms that include the that feature the low rider exhibit [1:06:37] and the salsa music exhibit and you'd have space left over there's very little on the founding [1:06:43] a lot of it is not uh very uh colorful or interesting for example when uh even the even in the uh [1:06:51] exhibit on uh the price of freedom i think it's called about our wars where it talks about the [1:06:56] revolutionary war which is a pretty good exhibit somehow it doesn't even mention the crossing of [1:07:00] the delaware or the winter of valley forge the more colorful aspects the more stirring aspects of our [1:07:06] history i bet it doesn't get into uh lord dunmore's war either that's another story um i'm really [1:07:12] concerned about the the lewis and clark expedition because while mr smithson's uh donation was relatively [1:07:20] vague he was a what would have maybe been referred to at the time as a natural philosopher mineralologist [1:07:27] etc and there's not a there's not a display on all the different new animals and creatures and [1:07:34] things that lewis and clark saw when they went west the first time it was documented for [1:07:39] uh the people in the eastern united states are you telling me that's not in there not to my knowledge [1:07:44] and you you talk about the salsa museum and and i don't have any pro or the salsa [1:07:49] display and i don't have any problem with going through various genres but you said in your [1:07:52] testimony that there's nothing on big bands jazz uh the american songbook is that correct [1:08:00] yeah except for i mean there may be a mention or two that would qualify for that in the uh [1:08:04] entertainment nation exhibit but uh nothing devoted to that in particular because you know [1:08:09] i think music traces through and and tells a story about american history whether you're talking [1:08:14] about the origins of the banjo uh which came over in in part from uh africa and i did a whole lecture [1:08:21] at that at uh uh in my district uh recently banjos not from my district per se but a lot of influence [1:08:27] there and and then i think about the march on washington uh is there much on the march on washington [1:08:33] there dr anderson i believe there is on march on washington okay and do they go through the fact that [1:08:39] peter paul and mary sang and and actually put pictures on their big biggest album uh ever uh had [1:08:46] pictures of them at the march march on washington is that in the music display i mean because to me [1:08:51] that's a part of that's a that's a big part of the history of the country and a big part of the history [1:08:56] of washington dc was the march on washington for so much that it did so much good i mean anything that [1:09:02] has anything to do with activism you can bet is represented i mean when you when you first walk into the [1:09:07] museum uh from the national mall side which until recently was closed the first thing you encounter [1:09:12] the only thing you encounter in the in the open space there is wall panels talking about activism [1:09:17] yeah and i think this museum ought to focus on american history so i was disturbed to hear about the [1:09:22] quetzal as a birder i think it's a fabulous bird i think that the natural science folks ought to have [1:09:28] that but they ought not have it necessarily in a money display in the american museum of the history [1:09:35] museum for america i yield back jimmy yields representative murphy's recognized for five [1:09:39] minutes thank you mr chairman you know when i was uh prefaced with this uh the subject matter of this [1:09:48] hearing i i kind of said really are we really doing this and then when you get to read it um i just [1:09:54] become enraged why you guys feel that it is your political or that is your personal arena to have your [1:10:00] political beliefs espoused upon the american people in the guise that it is objective american history [1:10:06] is beyond me you know i really i've been a surgeon my entire life and we don't revise things we adapt [1:10:12] we don't make up the spleen as being a different organ by the way um why people do this i don't know [1:10:20] you know i was on a board for my um college and the president of that college decided it was her [1:10:28] particular mission to turn a balanced college into her political playground sadly enough she's now the [1:10:36] president of the national trust for historic preservation so god only knows what's going to [1:10:40] happen with this it is just beyond me why you feel you have the right to make your political opinions [1:10:49] history and you can't understand that your job is to present balance to the american people your job [1:10:58] is not to be an activist i don't understand that i i don't understand that and how you can sit there [1:11:06] and tell us that you're not doing this in any manner that you're trying to be truthful is beyond me i don't [1:11:13] understand that i just don't have that type of calculus in my brain what you're doing the examples [1:11:20] that you see time and time again there are absolute political activism you're not trying to tell a [1:11:26] balanced story of america you're trying to tell it from a leftist progressive viewpoint period period mr blight [1:11:34] you know i was looking at your cv you've written a lot on slavery who is the first person to own a [1:11:40] slave in the united states the first person the first person to legally own a slave in the united [1:11:47] states i'm not sure i can give you a name well you should know this you're the you're the scholar that [1:11:53] that has researched all this anthony johnson why would you not know that oh i know about anthony johnson [1:11:58] have you ever written on him uh i don't think you have excuse me i looked up and i don't think you [1:12:03] have i don't know why not well if we're going to tell a real history anthony johnson is in a textbook [1:12:08] i'm a co-author on so if if we're going to tell real history yeah and not be revisionist you said [1:12:13] we don't we aren't woke we want to awaken well they held me the same damn thing give me a break [1:12:18] um i just beyond me i don't understand this and and miss hartnick you said you want us to do research [1:12:25] but you've removed is my understanding did you remove rigorous research from the mission statement [1:12:29] with american history museum that's what i have down here yes or no not hard came to the museum [1:12:38] in 2019 we started on a new strategic plan all right so you removed rigorous research which is [1:12:43] what we're supposed to do in rigorous research at least in my field is something that's balanced [1:12:48] sadly enough we even have now the the the pollution of wokeism in medicine one of the former heads [1:12:55] of the smithsonians now the head of the double amc and he's decided it's his political mission [1:13:00] to poison medical school where people's lives are at stake they're not like writing little story [1:13:04] books they're not writing little history books it's people's lives are at stake where political [1:13:08] activism has to be so you talked about gun rights earlier is there uh there's an exhibit um talking [1:13:14] about the the ills of guns is there one about gun rights i'm not aware of an exhibit talking about [1:13:21] the ills of guns sir we hold the national armament collection and gun collection i'd be honored to give [1:13:27] you a tour no i i honestly guys i'd have to take a lot of fennerkin before i went on a tour um this [1:13:33] place of giving whatever i just i don't understand why you guys in your academic circles look i've [1:13:40] been in academics and i'm not a i'm not a dummy why you feel you have to um yeah i know that's why i [1:13:48] brought it up but he didn't admit it but anyway um why you feel you have to be politically active in [1:13:53] this can you honestly say right in front of this whole committee and to the american public [1:13:57] that what you're doing in your museum is not political activism sir yes or no i can honestly [1:14:03] say to the american people and to this august committee that i am not engaged in political [1:14:10] activism well the the absolute facts smack us in the face otherwise and i would agree with mr gonzalez [1:14:22] something needs some some rebalancing needs to occur and we don't need political activists in charge of [1:14:27] this nonsense and yes there are certain books that are not right for kids to have and that's not [1:14:34] burning books that's not suppressing the press it's not suppressing free speech it's called being an [1:14:38] adult and and and actually trying to make sure that our kids get uh get the right material and we don't [1:14:44] pollute their minds too early uh mr chairman i'll yield back gentleman yields uh representative bice is [1:14:49] recognized for five minutes thank you mr chairman um and thank you to all of the witnesses for being here this [1:14:55] uh this morning dr hardig i think i'm bothered by the fact that you don't recognize that there's a [1:15:02] problem you think that the exhibits that you're putting forward in the museum are wholly acceptable [1:15:08] even though you're being questioned about many of them i want to read a statement actually a comment [1:15:16] that was posted on an ap article about your testimony yesterday to the oversight committee [1:15:23] uh this is user man 5312 and the comment is this interesting timing related to this article i took [1:15:33] my family to washington dc a week ago and we spent three hours at this particular museum we can attest [1:15:40] that it was very engaging but there were times when we had to chuckle at some of the overt attempts to [1:15:47] engage and shine light on the personal failings of the founding fathers basically over corrections [1:15:55] in both subtle and obtuse ways as a common sense person we could clearly see the hand of liberal [1:16:01] politics at work so to claim that executive leadership is focused on delivering an unbiased [1:16:06] presentation my family would disagree this is not a committee a partisan committee this is somebody that [1:16:13] has been to your museum in the last couple of weeks and has pointed out the failings of some of the [1:16:19] exhibits that you claim to be unbiased on director yesterday you refused to answer a question from my [1:16:25] colleague about whether or not you think it is appropriate for the museum to display sexually [1:16:30] suggestive imagery near youth content i want to give you another chance to answer that question is it [1:16:37] appropriate to house this type of material near youth content yes or no yes or no which content ma'am [1:16:55] sexually explicit material near youth content is this appropriate so the answer is yes or no i understand [1:17:03] your question ma'am so and what and your response is especially the issue of gender so you can't answer [1:17:09] the question i can absolutely answer the question it's a yes or no answer the issue of gender is at the front [1:17:18] of many americans gender sexually explicit material should never be near youth content the answer [1:17:26] should be no ma'am the smithsonian has hosted drag shows with some specific specifically targeted [1:17:33] intellectual disabilities in the past were you engaged in the planning of any of this programming [1:17:40] yes or no we have not held to the best of my knowledge at the national museum so no in history a [1:17:47] drag what was it a drag show a drag story time what what were you asking me it was a drag show are you [1:17:54] saying yes or no okay let me move on i'm limited in time yesterday you told the committee that you [1:18:02] needed to consult with your general counsel about 603 processes this is a review process that you go [1:18:08] through for individual exhibits why can't you be transparent not only with the committee here [1:18:14] but with your own board about what the 603 process is and how many exhibits you have reviewed and how [1:18:21] many that you have actually revised content for why are you unwilling to give us that information [1:18:27] oh ma'am i'm very willing would you like me to proceed i would like you to answer why you need a [1:18:32] general counsel to review that before you provide that information to your own board so ma'am i believe [1:18:39] yesterday that i shared kind of the quick outlines of the 603 process and i'm happy to go into them again i would [1:18:44] like you to submit to this committee a list of all of the 603 reviews that have happened in the past two [1:18:50] years of all of the exhibits in your museum and the revisions that have been made to any of the exhibits [1:18:56] per the requirements of the 603 review absolutely ma'am we adhere to the 603 process that was outlined [1:19:04] first in 1995 revised in 2021 which is why i'm confused as to why the answer to your question [1:19:11] yesterday would not have been sure i'm happy to provide that information rather than no i need [1:19:16] to get my general counsel legal to look at the information before i provide it to the board or to [1:19:22] a committee to the board of regents or to the committee your the board that oversees your museum [1:19:29] the board that oversees my museum has asked you for the 603 process and has been un unable to get that [1:19:36] information lastly i just want to say the oig recommended tightening committee procedures and mandatory [1:19:42] periodic training for personnel involved in content development have you instituted that change [1:19:48] are you speaking of the june 30th that is correct report ma'am yes i would like a list of the changes [1:19:55] that have been implemented based on that oig's uh recommendation report we're happy to get back [1:20:00] to you ma'am thank you without a yield mr chairman gentleman yields uh representative carrie is recognized [1:20:05] for five minutes thank you mr chairman i want to thank the ranking member and and i'm delighted to have [1:20:12] all of you witnesses here today and there's a wonderful book that's out it's called strength [1:20:17] to strength if you ever have the opportunity uh as somebody that enjoys history and studies history [1:20:22] vice chair of the year co-chair of the humanities caucus uh one of the interesting points is the two [1:20:28] people that the two professions that actually reach their zenith after the normal between you know [1:20:33] 40-year limit uh is actually historians and college professors so i take great pride in that fact [1:20:39] as a novel novel hysterist myself um just a couple things first off welcome to jenkins hill which was [1:20:46] originally carroll hill because it was owned by the carroll and then we later changed it lafont uh to [1:20:52] what is now capitol hill but um just a few things that i was looking through the testimony and unfortunately [1:20:58] we had to uh miss part of this because we're in the ways and means committee i do want to touch on just [1:21:04] a couple things and then i'm going to ask some questions to you doctor uh regarding some of your [1:21:08] statements according to the domestic policy council's report in june 2024 presentation to undergraduate and [1:21:16] graduate history students you explain that the museum removed the phrase quote end of quote american [1:21:23] history from the mission statement in order to help people and and quote and then end of quote to get [1:21:31] out of the american first mentality end of quote adding it's a big challenge especially going into [1:21:38] 2026 which will be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence now we'll touch on [1:21:46] that in just a minute now if i'm not mistaken the goal of the museum the american history was open [1:21:53] obviously in 1964 but the goal of the museum was to showcase americans heritage of freedom install faith in [1:21:59] our country's destiny illuminate our heritage and promise an inspiring story for the nation i'm going [1:22:06] to read just a few quotes and paraphrase some of them one that is often often uh because i do believe [1:22:12] that we have a rush to an orwellian justification of the uh the the the the history today but one of the [1:22:23] often misquoted but often related to the most effective way to destroy people is to deny or and [1:22:29] obliterate their own understanding of their history this is a direct quote of course from orwell every [1:22:36] record has been destroyed or falsified every book has been rewritten every picture has been repainted [1:22:42] every statue street building has been renamed every date has been altered and that process is continuing [1:22:49] day by day and minute by minute history has stopped nothing exists except the endless present in which [1:22:57] the party is always right and also in 1984 quoting orville and i quote the past was erased and insurer was [1:23:06] forgotten and the lie became the truth also orwell in his writings facing the unpleasant facts wrote and i quote [1:23:18] however much you denied the truth the truth does go on in existing so in your statement i just [1:23:26] want you to maybe in two words because i'm running out of time what did you mean by america first okay [1:23:36] i'm going to just go ahead no you don't want to answer but i'm going to give you five seconds thank [1:23:40] you sir i'm happy what time period i'm happy to answer i would argue that the american history museum [1:23:47] okay you didn't answer my question so i'm going to reclaim my time reclaiming my time mr chairman i am [1:23:50] reclaiming my time because you don't want to answer the question i just want to know are you referring [1:23:55] to the american first time period as related to the early 1900s when it was actually a very liberal [1:24:02] movement or are you talking about when warren mckinley used it as his mantra we talk about ronald reagan [1:24:07] are we just focusing on the now what time period are you looking at in the american first that you're [1:24:12] trying to make sure is not part of the 250th anniversary i believe i was saying to open the aperture of [1:24:19] inquiry to examine the well that's not what you said no no no no no no you said this is what you [1:24:25] said get out of the american first mentality what is the american first mentality enlighten me so the [1:24:32] revolution was a global one and i think the more we add new ones so wait to that point you said it's [1:24:38] global now let's focus on that because it was jefferson who actually wrote in his inauguration he said [1:24:44] in his first inaugural address that the united states was the world's best hope [1:24:48] the world's you're correct it is the world's best hope lincoln who then liked to paraphrase [1:24:53] jefferson as you would know in the declaration giving liberty not alone to the people of this [1:24:58] country but to the world for all future times so let me go back to my original questions [1:25:04] why do you think that american history should be erased from the mission statement of the national [1:25:10] american history museum in three seconds i'm over well with that mr chairman i yield back the gentleman yields [1:25:18] back uh representative miller of illinois is recognized for five minutes thank you chairman [1:25:26] style for holding this important hearing to examine how the smithsonian institution has abandoned its [1:25:32] mission to remain unbiased and preserving and telling our proud american history each year [1:25:40] approximately four million people walk through the doors of the national museum of american history [1:25:46] instead of inspiring pride in our nation the museum teaches visitors to be ashamed of their history [1:25:52] and to hate the institutions that made america the greatest country on earth the museum portrays our [1:26:00] founding fathers as villains and not as courageous and heroic leaders who sacrificed everything [1:26:06] instead the museum condemns them rather than celebrating the indispensable role they played in [1:26:13] securing our independence we know this is a deliberate agenda most recently the museum has decided to [1:26:21] fill its exhibits with sexually explicit content by displaying drag queens and nude women on magazine covers [1:26:29] it even featured a diary in which a little girl writes and i quote i pray to god every night for my penis to [1:26:36] grow i know it won't but i still pray families bring their children to the smithsonian expecting [1:26:44] a lesson on american history instead they're confronted with this indecency who honestly [1:26:52] believes that this belongs in a museum of american history nobody yesterday dr heart or director hart [1:27:00] pig you testified before a separate committee in the house and were questioned about sexually explicit [1:27:06] material on display at the museum in a former exhibit titled girlhood it's complicated twice you told members [1:27:14] of congress that the exhibit was never designed for children yet in a video you published online [1:27:22] when the exhibit first opened you explicitly say and i quote we look forward to welcoming girls and [1:27:27] boys to this exhibition okay we have a clip here video clip without objection okay is it going to play [1:27:38] i'm not sure without objection i think i object because i think we have tried to have videos [1:27:43] played here committee before and been denied the opportunity to do it so i do object we'll suspend [1:27:54] can you stop my clock the the objection is withdrawn uh the video will be played uh in in the clock will [1:28:46] restart the committee will suspend we'll give one moment here to see if we can work the the tech out all [1:31:55] right the the apparently technical difficulties not the success of the ranking member's objection [1:32:01] um i say i say in jest uh technical difficulties the video the the video can be inserted uh into the [1:32:08] record uh the general woman is recognized with credited back with uh 30 seconds we'll we'll hold the clock [1:32:14] for you okay thank you continuing on well obviously there's explicit video uh to prove that you welcome [1:32:28] children to an exhibit that features features sexually explicit material i cannot even imagine why you [1:32:35] would do that does it make sense to you that sexual material would be on display in the national museum [1:32:42] of american history in the first place thank you ma'am so just a quick bit on the policy of the museum [1:32:49] please so i heard just answer my question i shall we encourage parents and caregivers to engage with content [1:32:57] and topics they feel appropriate for their children and all children under 18 who come to the museum [1:33:03] need to be accompanied by an adult okay this that's not answering my question you actually welcomed [1:33:11] children to an exhibit with sexually explicit material and so correct in that exhibit girls we brought a [1:33:18] picture so audience what a crotch harness is so ma'am if i may answer your question about girlhood it's [1:33:24] complicated and the questions that you had no just tell us now i'm moving on what is a crotch harness [1:33:30] you chose to make a display of it uh girlhood it's complicated was designed okay you approved the [1:33:38] display of a crotch harness in a public museum you chose to display the fetish attire of a very small [1:33:46] subset of americans with weird sexual proclivities and you welcome children to these exhibits millions of [1:33:54] american families and school children visit your taxpayer funded museum every year coming to learn [1:34:00] about the nation's history they deserve a straightforward explanation for why they are being exposed to [1:34:06] this kind of garbage okay the the american history museum educational material asserts that there are more [1:34:15] than two genders and imply that biological males should be permitted to compete in women's sports [1:34:22] i don't know why or what on what scientific basis the museum decided to approve that material yesterday [1:34:30] you could not answer the question can a man become a woman you've been able to sleep on it can you [1:34:35] tell us can a man become a woman so to answer your question about the two-piece garment that is to your [1:34:41] right it was um in an exhibition called illegal to be you you have decided those in 2021 ma'am that [1:34:50] explore gay liberation trans agenda okay tell us in that small exhibit that closed in 2021 where that [1:34:58] two-piece garment was presented was entitled illegal to be you gay liberation since stonewall so are you [1:35:08] saying that topics on sexuality are suitable for kids all the people who came by that display case [1:35:15] and they come to learn about american history they come to learn about the most free prosperous stable [1:35:22] and benevolent nation in the history of the world they come to learn about american exceptionalism [1:35:30] and i uh yield my time the gentleman yields back this concludes uh our questions we thank all of our [1:35:38] witnesses for be appearing before us today members of the committee may have some additional questions [1:35:43] and we ask that you please respond to those questions in writing without objection each member will have [1:35:47] five legislative days to insert additional materials into the record or to revise and extend their remarks [1:35:52] there being no further business i thank the members for their participation without objection the [1:35:56] committee stands adjourned [1:36:05] you