House GOP Demands Smithsonian Docs After Exhibit Ties US Military Doctrine to ‘Domicide’

Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,

House Republicans are demanding answers from the Smithsonian Institution after an internal investigation revealed that a museum exhibit linked the U.S. military to “domicide,” the deliberate destruction of civilian homes to inflict human suffering.

Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, and Brian Jack, R-Ga., sent a letter Thursday to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III requesting extensive records concerning the controversial exhibit and the institution’s oversight procedures.

The investigation is part of Republican efforts to remove politically charged historical presentations at federally supported museums.

“The Subcommittee is concerned that the Smithsonian has cultivated a scholarly community that supports insinuations that the deliberate destruction of homes to intentionally cause human suffering is intertwined with the military doctrine of the United States,” the lawmakers wrote.

According to findings from the Smithsonian’s internal watchdog in June, the exhibit was originally designed to showcase 10 New York City buildings in a single room as part of the Design Triennial.

Instead, organizers transformed the installation into a presentation featuring homes destroyed by American-made weapons during military operations targeting ISIS and other terrorist organizations.

The lawmakers said organizers sought to connect American military doctrine and even the nation’s founding principles to “domicide,” raising concerns about whether the institution was promoting a politically driven interpretation of U.S. military history.

The Smithsonian defended its responsibility to maintain historical accuracy while protecting academic freedom.

“We must meet our obligations of accuracy and relevance to the public we serve,” the institution reportedly told its inspector general, adding that it must avoid discouraging scholarly inquiry and creativity.

Burchett and Jack are also seeking documents related to potential efforts to weaken or circumvent Smithsonian Directive 603, which establishes procedures for reviewing sensitive exhibits that could generate significant public controversy.

The lawmakers emphasized that the directive is essential to maintaining public confidence in the Smithsonian’s historical presentations.