Members of Congress spar over radicalism at US History Museum: 'Is Mickey Mouse racist?' 

U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, questions Special Counsel Jack Smith as he testifies during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Jan. 22, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Smith testified on his team's federal criminal investigations into President Donald Trump which included 2020 election interference and classified documents.
U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, questions Special Counsel Jack Smith as he testifies during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Jan. 22, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Smith testified on his team's federal criminal investigations into President Donald Trump which included 2020 election interference and classified documents. | Al Drago/Getty Images

Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig faced her first public congressional grilling Tuesday, testifying before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency over allegations that the museum has become a vehicle for ideological activism.

The hearing, titled "Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian's Efforts to Reshape the Past," followed a White House report published July 4 accusing the museum of promoting "Anti-White Activism," "Illegal Alien Activism" and "Transgender Activism," among other claims of "ideological capture." Republican lawmakers used the hearing to press Hartig on the museum's content, while Democrats pushed back on the premise of the hearing itself.

Here are five highlights from Tuesday's eventful hearing.

Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com

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