A resurfaced video of Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig, in which she describes "history as a practice" as a "prime tool of social justice," has emerged shortly after she testified before Congress defending the institution's objectivity and nonpartisanship. Critics argue the remarks undercut her sworn testimony during a series of July hearings on Capitol Hill examining allegations that the Smithsonian has been subject to "woke ideological capture," fuelling further scrutiny of how the museum approaches historical interpretation.

The footage reportedly comes from a presentation Hartig gave, in which she framed history through an explicitly social-justice lens, contrasting with the more neutral posture she presented to lawmakers during the congressional hearings. The controversy adds to an ongoing political row over the Smithsonian's editorial direction and comes amid broader Republican-led efforts to probe alleged bias in federally funded cultural and educational institutions.