WATCH: Smithsonian history museum director stumbles over basic questions on sex: ‘I’m not sure’

Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig appeared stumped by a basal mobility connected activity and gender from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

During a House proceeding connected alleged "extreme governmental activism" connected display astatine nan Smithsonian, Mace asked Hartig, "Do you judge that men tin go women?"

Hartig hesitated earlier answering, "Ma'am, arsenic nan head of nan museum, that's not applicable successful this case."

"It's very relevant," Mace changeable back. Motioning to images of Smithsonian displays featuring resistance queens, Mace continued, "You've sewage men dressed up arsenic women, and you person them connected displays successful beforehand of kids. Do you deliberation men tin go women? Yes aliases no?"

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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 connected Delivering connected Government Efficiency proceeding connected Capitol Hill connected July 21, 2026 successful Washington, DC. The proceeding titled, "Rewriting American History: Examining nan Smithsonian's Efforts to Reshape nan Past," is being held arsenic nan White House began an investigation into nan Smithsonian past twelvemonth and has precocious put retired a study alleging governmental activism. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Hartig did not reply nan mobility but alternatively began to talk 1 of nan resistance queen displays pictured connected nan committee down Mace. The congresswoman interrupted her.

"What is simply a woman, Dr. Hartig?" Mace demanded.

Hartig began to reply that "as a head and arsenic a historian, it's not my-" earlier Mace trim her disconnected again, saying, "You sexualized nan American History Museum. So, this is simply a adjacent question. What is simply a woman?"

Looking down for a moment, Hartig responded, "We strive to correspond and not categorize each Americans."

"Okay, I person different mobility for you," Mace continued. "There's a glossary astatine nan depository that informs visitors that while American civilization traditionally recognizes 2 genders, different countries admit 3 aliases more."

"So, enlighten maine this morning: really galore genders are there?" Mace asked.

Hartig hesitated again earlier asking, "Ma’am, which glossary?"

"This is simply a display, and it has a glossary that says different countries admit 3 aliases much genders. So, I would for illustration you to enlighten maine today; you're nan head of nan American History Museum, who's sexualized things successful beforehand of kids. I want to know, I want to inquire you, really galore genders are there?"

Finally, Hartig responded, "I'm not judge which glossary you're speaking," earlier adding, "I’m happy to get backmost to you astir that glossary."

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National Museum of American History Director Dr. Anthea Hartig is sworn successful during an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee connected Delivering connected Government Efficiency proceeding connected Capitol Hill connected July 21, 2026 successful Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Mace pressed further, saying, "One of your exhibits astatine nan American History Museum says sometimes gender isn't revealed astatine birth. So, erstwhile is gender revealed?"

"When was your gender revealed to you, Dr. Hartig?" she added.

Smiling, Hartig simply answered, "I don't really deliberation that's applicable to nan conversation."

"It is relevant. You person a show astatine nan American History Museum talking about, ‘Gender isn't ever revealed astatine birth.’ So, erstwhile was your gender revealed?" insisted Mace.

Hartig began to reply by saying, "So, since I americium a PhD-" earlier Mace yielded nan level backmost to nan committee chair.

Earlier this month, a sweeping caller White House study concluded that nan Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History has go a taxpayer-backed institution of "ideological capture" and "extreme governmental activism."

According to nan 162-page "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" report, delivered connected July 4, 2026, nan National Museum of American History treats nan American communicative arsenic a governmental instrumentality alternatively than a shared nationalist inheritance.

"The study concludes that nan Smithsonian Institution, and nan National Museum of American History successful particular, nether its existent activity and existent interpretive ideology, cannot beryllium trusted to show America's communicative honestly and successful a measurement that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our awesome republic," nan White House Domestic Policy Council wrote successful its July 4 study pursuing up connected President Donald Trump’s March 27 executive order. "By nan volition and astatine nan guidance of existent Museum and Smithsonian leadership, NMAH has go taxable to organization seizure by a radical, activistic ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling nan noble, honorable communicative of nan awesome state we cognize and love."

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The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is being called retired for being 'ideologically captured' and presenting woke revisionist history connected nan play of America's 250th birthday. (Kevin Carter)

"At nan Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, visitors young and aged should brushwood nan communicative of nan United States told pinch honesty, seriousness, and pride," nan report's executive summary began. "In particular, it should thief nan American group understand wherever America came from, what makes it distinctive, and why it is worthy preserving."

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Hartig said successful her opening connection that "the Smithsonian takes nan concerns raised successful nan White House Domestic Policy Council's study seriously, and arsenic we proceed to fact-check nan report, we unwaveringly attest that it does not reasonably aliases accurately qualify nan afloat assemblage of activity astatine nan museum."

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She asserted that "the depository does not return sides successful America's governmental debates," but instead, "We sphere and archive nan grounds of American life successful each of its breadth, truthful that nan nationalist tin brushwood nan past and tie their ain conclusions."

"There is ever room for improvement, but I besides cognize nan beauty and nan inspiration and nan expertise that lies successful our collections, our exhibits, and our programming," said Hartig.

Fox News Digital reached retired to nan Smithsonian Institution for further comment.

Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack contributed to this report.