Smithsonian too focused on 'oppressors and the oppressed,' say House Republicans

NPR · 0:57

64,485 views · 1,232 likes · Jul 22, 2026

The director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History was on Capitol Hill yesterday, answering questions from members of a House subcommittee. Republicans on the panel argued that the museum has become “infected by a woke ideology.”

The hearing was convened by the House of Representatives’ DOGE subcommittee, which is chaired by Republican Tim Burchett, of Tennessee: "The American …

The director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History was on Capitol Hill yesterday, answering questions from members of a House subcommittee. Republicans on the panel argued that the museum has become “infected by a woke ideology.”

The hearing was convened by the House of Representatives’ DOGE subcommittee, which is chaired by Republican Tim Burchett, of Tennessee: "The American …

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