Political Activism at the Smithsonian Institution | Mike Gonzalez

Harriet Tubman’s Shawl and Hymnal. Abraham Lincoln’s Hat. Chuck Berry’s Red Cadillac.

These are just a few of the estimated 157 million items currently held by the Smithsonian Institutions. Spread across 21 museums, 21 libraries, 14 education and research centers, a zoo, and various other facilities, the Smithsonian was created by the federal government in 1846, and named after its founding donor british scientist James Smithson. In Smithson’s bequest, he willed the money “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian institution, an establishment for the increase & diffusion of Knowledge among men”.

Today, about two thirds of the Smithsonian Institution’s $1.25 billion annual budget comes from taxpayers. And those taxpayers are asking some significant questions about the way that the Smithsonian is spending their money. A recent report from the Trump Administration highlights, in particular, abuses at the National Museum of American History, where American history seems to have taken a backseat to political activism. I sat down with Heritage Senior Fellow Mike Gonzalez to understand what’s going on.

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Next-Gen Marxism by Mike Gonzalez & Katie Gorka: https://www.amazon.com/NextGen-Marxism-What-How-Combat/dp/1641773537
White House Report: Saving America’s Story: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Smithsonian-Report-Saving-Americas-Story.pdf

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