A review of the Smithsonian’s 250-object anniversary exhibit found nearly two dozen items tied to liberal causes compared with seven associated with conservative movements, while only two objects appeared under the museum’s “Christians” filter.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Smithsonian Institution is facing renewed criticism over the political balance of an exhibit created to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary after a review found substantially more objects associated with liberal causes than with conservative movements or Christianity.
Fox News examined the online catalog for “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, & Happiness,” an exhibit built around 250 objects intended to reflect American history, national ideals and the contributions of people and movements across the country.
The review identified seven objects connected to conservative causes, compared with nearly two dozen tied to movements or institutions involving LGBT rights, abortion access, racial justice, organized labor and Democratic politics.
Among the objects highlighted in the catalog are a pink “p-ssy hat” worn during the 2017 Women’s March, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s gavel, monarch butterfly wings worn by an illegal immigrant activist and a typewriter owned by writer Maya Angelou.
“Fox News Digital reviewed the Smithsonian’s online catalog and grouped objects according to the movements, causes, and institutions identified in the museum’s descriptions, finding seven tied to conservative movements, compared with nearly two dozen tied to causes including LGBT rights, abortion access, racial justice, organized labor, and Democratic politics,” the outlet reported.
“The apparent domination of liberal causes in an exhibit designed to celebrate the contributions of all Americans to the nation’s history could further inflame conservative criticisms of the museum.”
The Smithsonian’s official exhibit page presents the collection as a survey of objects connected to the nation’s founding principles and 250-year history.
A separate review using the “Christians” category under the catalog’s cultural filters returned only two objects: a collection of Noah’s Ark figures dating to the late 1800s and an 18th-century Bible.
The dispute comes amid an ongoing Trump administration review of what the White House has described as “divisive political narratives” within the Smithsonian system.
The administration began placing greater attention on those issues in 2025, when it examined museum presentations that officials argued portrayed American history through an unnecessarily negative or politically selective framework.
A later report said the White House had compiled examples from several Smithsonian museums that it believed demonstrated ideological bias.
“In its review of Smithsonian museums, the White House has compiled several examples of what it says are overly negative portrayals of U.S. history,” the report stated.
A document obtained by the Guardian listed concerns involving seven museums based on public submissions. The examples included a Benjamin Franklin exhibit that connected his scientific accomplishments to his ownership of slaves and a film about George Floyd that administration officials said misrepresented law enforcement.
“President Trump will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable,” a White House official said. “Until we get info from the Smithsonian in response to our letter, we can’t verify the numbers of artifacts that have been removed because the Smithsonian has removed them on their own.”
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has also drawn criticism for an exhibit that presented portions of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s career in prominent terms.
Fauci declined to answer lawmakers’ questions during a congressional hearing this week concerning the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Critics have also cited Fauci’s diary entries in accusing him of making misleading public statements about the virus’s fatality rate, privately acknowledging that scientists suspected a laboratory origin while publicly dismissing that theory and focusing heavily on his public image during the pandemic.
The America 250 exhibit has now become part of the broader debate over whether the Smithsonian is presenting the country’s history and political traditions in a balanced manner as the institution prepares to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial.
Original article
Comments