Smithsonian National Museum of American History director Anthea Hartig said she had no regrets over exhibits produced during her tenure after criticism of a display concerning Benjamin Franklin. The dispute matters because it has become part of a broader political argument over whether Smithsonian museums are presenting US history impartially or advancing particular ideological interpretations.

Hartig was questioned by lawmakers at two Capitol Hill hearings, following scrutiny from the White House Domestic Policy Council. A critic described the Franklin display as “shocking” and argued that it unfairly smeared the founding father, while Hartig did not disavow the museum’s approach; the article does not provide the exhibit’s full wording or further detail on the alleged portrayal.