Smithsonian Under Fire Over History Exhibit | Wilmington News

Wilmington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 23, 2026 · 1m

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is under fire after a White House report labeled it “ideologically captured,” accusing it of promoting radical activist views with taxpayer money. Critics zeroed in on the exhibit “The Electric Dr. Franklin,” which questioned whether Benjamin Franklin experimented on enslaved people — a claim without evidence. Director Anthea Hartig defended the museum’s mission to explore complex history, admitting room for improvement but rejecting the report’s characterization. The debate rages on: should museums stick to verified facts or embrace…