Anthea Hartig faces House Republicans over "woke" ideology and political activism at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Anthea Hartig, director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, was questioned by House Republicans during a subcommittee hearing regarding the museum's shift toward a "woke" and activist-driven narrative. The hearing followed a July 4 report from the White House Domestic Policy Council, which accused the institution of "ideological capture" by a radical ideology that often overlooks the noble story of the country. During the hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace pressed Hartig on specific displays regarding gender and drag queens, asking whether men can become women. Hartig maintained that the museum strives to represent all Americans rather than categorize them. While Republicans criticized the museum for being insufficiently patriotic and overly focused on "oppressor vs. oppressed" dynamics, Democrats defended the institution's trustworthiness. Hartig responded to the administration's criticisms by stating that the museum does not take sides in political debates but instead documents the breadth of American life to allow the public to draw their own conclusions.