WATCH: Smithsonian director pressed on woke exhibits: ‘Is Mickey Mouse racist?’

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. National Museum of American History director Anthea Harting was pressed by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, whether Mickey Mouse is a racist symbol and about 'objectivity' being labeled White supremacist in a toolkit promoted by the institution. The director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History faced pointed questions from House Republicans Tuesday over exhibits and materials they characterized as woke, including a display linking Mickey Mouse to racism and a museum toolkit discussing "objectivity" as a feature of White supremacy. Several Republican members questioned Director Anthea Hartig about sexually explicit imagery in exhibits, including "bondage," in the words of Chairman Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. Texas Rep. Brandon Gill’s exchanges focused on one of America’s most iconic childhood characters. "Is Mickey Mouse racist?" Gill asked H