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Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig appeared stumped by a basic question on sex and gender from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.
During a House hearing on alleged “extreme political activism” on display at the Smithsonian, Mace asked Hartig, “Do you believe that men can become women?”
Hartig hesitated before answering, “Ma’am, as the director of the museum, that’s not relevant in this case.”
“It’s very relevant,” Mace shot back. Motioning to images of Smithsonian displays featuring drag queens, Mace continued, “You’ve got men dressed up as women, and you have them on displays in front of kids. Do you think men can become women? Yes or no?”
Rep. Nancy Mace (left), R-S.C., grilled National Museum of American History Director Dr. Anthea Hartig (right) during an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing on Capitol Hill on July 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. The hearing titled, “Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past,” is being held as the White House began an investigation into the Smithsonian last year and has recently put out a report alleging political activism. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Hartig did not answer the question but instead began to discuss one of the drag queen displays pictured on the board behind Mace. The congresswoman interrupted her.
“What is a woman, Dr. Hartig?” Mace demanded.
Hartig began to answer that “as a director and as a historian, it’s not my-” before Mace cut her off again, saying, “You sexualized the American History Museum. So, this is a fair question. What is a woman?”
Looking down for a moment, Hartig responded, “We strive to represent and not categorize all Americans.”
“Okay, I have another question for you,” Mace continued. “There’s a glossary at the museum that informs visitors that while American culture traditionally recognizes two genders, other countries recognize three or more.”
“So, enlighten me this morning: how many genders are there?” Mace asked.
Hartig hesitated again before asking, “Ma’am, which glossary?”
“This is a display, and it has a glossary that says other countries recognize three or more genders. So, I would like you to enlighten me today; you’re the director of the American History Museum, who’s sexualized things in front of kids. I want to know, I want to ask you, how many genders are there?”
Finally, Hartig responded, “I’m not sure which glossary you’re speaking,” before adding, “I’m happy to get back to you about that glossary.”
National Museum of American History Director Dr. Anthea Hartig is sworn in during an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing on Capitol Hill on July 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Mace pressed further, saying, “One of your exhibits at the American History Museum says sometimes gender isn’t revealed at birth. So, when is gender revealed?”
“When was your gender revealed to you, Dr. Hartig?” she added.
Smiling, Hartig simply answered, “I don’t really think that’s relevant to the conversation.”
“It is relevant. You have a display at the American History Museum talking about, ‘Gender isn’t always revealed at birth.’ So, when was your gender revealed?” insisted Mace.
Hartig began to answer by saying, “So, since I am a PhD-” before Mace yielded the floor back to the committee chair.
Earlier this month, a sweeping new White House report concluded that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History has become a taxpayer-backed institution of “ideological capture” and “extreme political activism.”
According to the 162-page “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” report, delivered on July 4, 2026, the National Museum of American History treats the American story as a political tool rather than a shared national inheritance.
“The report concludes that the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic,” the White House Domestic Policy Council wrote in its July 4 report following up on President Donald Trump’s March 27 executive order. “By the intention and at the direction of current Museum and Smithsonian leadership, NMAH has become subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love.”
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The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is being called out for being ‘ideologically captured’ and presenting woke revisionist history on the weekend of America’s 250th birthday. (Kevin Carter)
“At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, visitors young and old should encounter the story of the United States told with honesty, seriousness, and pride,” the report’s executive summary began. “In particular, it should help the American people understand where America came from, what makes it distinctive, and why it is worth preserving.”
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Hartig said in her opening statement that “the Smithsonian takes the concerns raised in the White House Domestic Policy Council’s report seriously, and as we continue to fact-check the report, we unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum.”
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She asserted that “the museum does not take sides in America’s political debates,” but instead, “We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions.”
“There is always room for improvement, but I also know the beauty and the inspiration and the expertise that lies in our collections, our exhibits, and our programming,” said Hartig.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Smithsonian Institution for additional comment.
Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack contributed to this report.