A White House report released late on Independence Day brands the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution, particularly at the National Museum of American History, as radical activists who cannot be trusted to present American history fairly, according to a document from the White House Domestic Policy Council. The 81-page report indicates that President Donald Trump may be preparing to install his own team at the institution.

The report is the latest development in Trump's aggressive campaign to overhaul some of Washington's most prominent cultural and historic institutions. In March, Trump revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian through an executive order targeting funding for programs that advanced what the administration calls 'divisive narratives' and 'improper ideology.'

What the Left Is Saying

Critics from the left have pushed back against the administration's characterization of the Smithsonian's leadership. Historian Lonnie Bunch, who serves as the Smithsonian's current secretary and is the first African American to lead the institution, addressed the controversy in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'

"The notion of being a more perfect union, not the perfect union, is really what motivates me," Bunch said. "I think what I want people to understand is that there is a responsibility to continue to make those aspirations available, accessible, meaningful to a whole range of people."

Bunch added that America's greatest strength lies in understanding its history rather than running away from it.

Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, speaking on CNN's 'State of the Union,' accused Trump and his allies of attempting to rewrite history. "There's not one individual narrative that a president gets about our history," Shapiro said. The Democratic governor, viewed as a potential future presidential candidate, argued that any leader should want full history shared so Americans can draw their own conclusions.

"If we understand where we came from, we're going to have a better path forward," Shapiro added.

What the Right Is Saying

The White House report offers a sharply different assessment of the institution's leadership and its educational mission. The document, produced by Trump's Domestic Policy Council led by a former top Trump speechwriter, contends that Smithsonian leadership has been captured by ideology that undermines American institutions.

"The Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America's story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic," according to the report.

The document further states that museum exhibits "confront visitors with materials intended to undermine faith in American institutions and the longstanding shared ideals of the American people." The council's conclusion calls for restoring what it describes as "truth and sanity" in how American history is presented and taught, finding that current leadership has pursued an agenda "fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love."

What the Numbers Show

The Smithsonian Institution operates 21 museums, galleries, and a national zoo across Washington, D.C., and New York City. The National Museum of American History houses collections documenting the nation's political, cultural, and economic development.

The report was released on July 4, a date traditionally associated with commemoration of American independence. Anthea M. Hartig serves as the first woman to lead the National Museum of American History. The Smithsonian did not immediately respond to requests for comment when the story broke.

Trump's broader effort to reshape cultural institutions extends beyond the Smithsonian. He installed himself as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and a board he appointed voted to add his name to the building before a federal judge later ordered the signage removed. The administration has also pressured Columbia University by threatening hundreds of millions in federal funding, resulting in policy changes at the Ivy League institution.

In Philadelphia, the administration won a court ruling allowing it to reinstall interpretive panels at President George Washington's home that critics argue present a sanitized version of slavery history.

The Bottom Line

The White House report represents an escalation in the administration's effort to reshape how American history is presented at federally funded institutions. By labeling current Smithsonian leadership as untrustworthy, the administration appears to be laying groundwork for potential leadership changes at the world's largest museum complex.

What remains unclear is what specific actions Trump might take next. The executive order issued in March gave the administration leverage over funding, but any move to install new leadership would represent an unprecedented intervention in an institution that has operated with bipartisan congressional support since its founding in 1846. Congressional Democrats have largely opposed such interventions, while some Republicans have supported the administration's efforts to review exhibits they view as critical of American achievement.

The Smithsonian has not issued a formal response to the report. Any change in leadership would likely face significant legal and political challenges.