In November 2021, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History opened an exhibit titled “The Electric Dr. Franklin,” which explored Benjamin Franklin’s scientific contributions, particularly in the field of electricity. The exhibit also acknowledged that Franklin had enslaved people in his household before becoming an abolitionist. It raised the possibility that enslaved individuals may have assisted Franklin in his research, though the museum made it clear that this was speculative. The exhibit closed in 2025 but remains available online for public access. The exhibit became a flashpoint in a 162-page White House report released in July 2025. The report accused the museum of shifting its focus from historical education to political activism, criticizing its leadership, including Director Anthea Hartig. Specific exhibits, such as one displaying a “chrome and rubber crotch harness” used in sadomasochistic practices, were cited as examples of content that the report deemed divisive and ideologically driven. The report reflected growing concerns from conservative voices about the direction of public institutions. In March 2025, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating that the Smithsonian had fallen under the influence of “divisive, race-centered ideology.” Later that year, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum warned the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents that federal funding might be cut if the institution continued under its current leadership. The Smithsonian, overseen by a 17-member board that includes the chief justice of the Supreme Court and members of Congress, receives about 62% of its funding from the federal government. As tensions rose, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced his resignation in September 2025, citing personal stress and the pressure surrounding the museum’s direction. The National Museum of American History, established in 1964 as the National Museum of History and Technology, has long faced challenges in balancing its mission of showcasing American technological progress with broader historical narratives. Though it was renamed the National Museum of American History in 1980, the tension between these two goals remained. A 2002 review suggested a chronological approach to exhibits, aiming for a more balanced historical narrative. However, curators favored a more thematic, episodic style instead of a traditional chronological display. To address criticism, the museum reorganized its exhibits into sections like “American Enterprise,” “American Democracy,” and “The Price of Freedom.” However, these changes often led to a fragmented visitor experience, compounded by the museum’s physical layout and underused spaces. Following the 2020 pandemic and racial justice protests, the Smithsonian under Secretary Lonnie Bunch launched initiatives to improve diversity, equity, access, and inclusion (DEAI). These included hiring a Chief Diversity Officer and creating exhibits on underrepresented histories. However, these efforts were criticized by conservative supporters, including Republican regent David Graves, who claimed the museum had become too politically focused and neglected traditional American achievements. In 2025, Trump signed an executive order directing the Smithsonian to remove “improper ideology” from its content, and the White House issued a 120-day deadline to replace “divisive or ideologically driven language” with “unifying, historically accurate” content. The White House report criticized the museum for using a toolkit that encouraged social action and for not offering a single, unified historical narrative. It emphasized the need for a “basic consensus view” of history, free from ideological influence, highlighting the broader political tensions that have come to define the Smithsonian’s recent history.