White House Claims Smithsonian Has Been Captured by 'Radical, Activist Ideology', Says it 'Cannot Be Trusted' to Tell America's Story'

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 02: Tourists turn around after realizing the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is closed due to the partial shutdown of the U.S. government as it goes into the 12th day, on January 2, 2019 in Washington, DC. With the new congress scheduled to start on January 3, Congressional Democrats and Republicans have not come to a bipartisan solution to President Donald Trump's demands for more money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. (Credit: Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The White House sharply escalated its criticism of the Smithsonian Institution over the Fourth of July weekend, releasing a report that accuses the museum system's leadership of promoting "extreme political activism" and argues it "cannot be trusted" to present American history objectively.

The 162-page report, published by the White House Domestic Policy Council, focuses primarily on the National Museum of American History, alleging that its leadership has moved the institution "away from straightforward historical education and scholarship toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country."