The director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Anthea Hartig, faced sharp questioning from House Republicans over exhibits and educational materials that GOP lawmakers say promote critical race theory. During the hearing, Representative Brandon Gill of Texas pressed Hartig on whether Mickey Mouse could be considered a racist symbol, referencing a museum-promoted toolkit that had reportedly labelled concepts such as "objectivity" as characteristics of white supremacy. The exchange formed part of a broader Republican effort to scrutinise perceived ideological bias within Smithsonian institutions.

The confrontation follows earlier criticism of Hartig, who has previously struggled to answer basic questions from lawmakers on other contentious topics, including the definition of sex. Republicans on the committee framed their questioning as an attempt to hold the taxpayer-funded museum accountable for content they view as politically slanted, while the specifics of Hartig's responses to the Mickey Mouse question were not detailed in the available material.