White House Domestic Policy Council report released July 4 criticizes Smithsonian leadership, says it cannot be trusted

A late-July-4 report from the White House Domestic Policy Council describes Smithsonian Institution leadership, especially staff associated with the National Museum of American History, as “radical activists” who “cannot be trusted,” according to reporting by PBS NewsHour and other outlets. The report, released at the end of the Independence Day holiday, became public as President Donald Trump has pursued a broader effort to reshape how federal institutions interpret cultural and historical narratives.

The Smithsonian Institution is a congressionally chartered, federally funded organization that is overseen through a governance structure involving the Smithsonian Board of Regents and senior leadership at the institution. The report’s language, as characterized by outlets, centers on concerns about the museum system’s internal direction and institutional trustworthiness, particularly in the context of programming and staffing decisions at the National Museum of American History.

PBS NewsHour reported that the report was released late on Independence Day and that it singled out leadership roles at the museum system, using the “cannot be trusted” framing. AP News similarly described the report as branding Smithsonian leadership as radical activists who cannot be trusted, and said the assessment could indicate that the Trump administration is preparing to install its own team at the institution.

Outlet reporting also tied the report to the White House Domestic Policy Council’s participation in the administration’s efforts to influence federal institutions. Officials at the council have not been described in the provided material as issuing a specific directive to remove Smithsonian leadership, but the report’s wording has nonetheless prompted questions about how personnel and governance decisions could proceed under existing institutional rules.

As of this publication draft, the provided materials do not include the report text itself or an official White House posting that fully documents the council’s findings. The only documented evidence in the record is that multiple outlets reported on the report’s content and purpose, including its characterizations of Smithsonian leadership and its timing on July 4.

Smithsonian officials and leadership would typically be expected to respond through institutional statements, governance channels, or administrative processes available to the Board of Regents and the institution’s executive leadership. The practical next step for the Smithsonian and the White House would be to clarify what the report recommends, whether it is connected to any ongoing personnel review, and what authority the administration is invoking for any changes.

Whether any changes occur would likely depend on governance mechanisms governing the Smithsonian, including the Board of Regents’ oversight role and any federal appointment or employment actions that officials may pursue. Until an official document or formal action is made public, the report should be treated as an administration-provided assessment rather than a confirmed personnel decision, based on the current record.