Smithsonian Chief Addresses White House Criticism to Staff

The head of the Smithsonian is pushing back after the White House accused one of its flagship museums of trying to "divide, dispirit, and discourage" Americans through its ideology. In a memo to the staff on Tuesday, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch said a new 162-page White House report blasting the National Museum of American History is "not a fair characterization" of its work, according to an email obtained by the Washington Post. The report is being carefully reviewed, he said. While acknowledging there is always "room for improvement," Bunch wrote that the institution's mission is grounded in scholarship, accuracy, and a commitment to telling "the fullness of America's story."

Publicly, the Smithsonian has mostly stuck to a brief statement emphasizing its 180-year record of "nonpartisan and independent scholarship." In his internal note, Bunch praised staff members as public servants tasked with helping the country find "understanding, hope, and clarity," and reaffirmed the Smithsonian's dedication to nonpartisanship, independence, and integrity. The Organization of American Historians has denounced the White House document as an attack on "accurate and evidence-based history" in public life. The New York Times has a look at the Trump administration's objections here.