Smithsonian Complies With Trump’s Documents Request
The institution handed over wall texts and other materials as part of the White House's targeted inquiry into the museum system.
Months after the Trump administration promised to issue “content corrections” for Smithsonian exhibits in line with his bid to promote “American exceptionalism” in the museum system, the institution complied with the President's request to hand over documents, wall texts, and other materials.
An internal email sent by Lonnie G. Bunch, reviewed by Hyperallergic, notified Smithsonian staff that the institution had carried out the White House's request, following the administration's December threat to withhold congressional appropriations from the organization unless it complied.
"Today we transmitted more information in response to that request, which included digital photographs of labels, placards, and other text on public display in several galleries," Bunch wrote in the email, sent on January 13. "We will continue to provide responsive information on a rolling basis."
The Trump administration first requested the materials, including information about the Smithsonian's curatorial processes and programming for the 250th anniversary of the United States, in August. In March, the White House targeted the Smithsonian in an executive order, accusing it of centering "race-centered ideology" and citing an exhibition that examined racism in sculpture.
In letters to Bunch, the White House articulated that its review of the Smithsonian was intended to promote "American exceptionalism" and "remove divisive or partisan narratives" from the museum system. According to the White House, the Smithsonian transferred a partial selection of requested materials in September. The institution did not announce its cooperation with the Trump administration at the time.
Among the documents requested by the White House in its most recent missive to the Smithsonian were digital copies of "all wall didactics," personal information about curatorial staff, and information about all planned exhibitions through 2029.
In a statement to Hyperallergic today, Office of the Management and Budget (OMB) General Counsel Mark Paoletta confirmed receipt of "additional documents" from the Smithsonian and said that they were under review.
A bill that would allocate $1.08 billion for the Smithsonian Institution, which is a federal instrumentality of the United States government, cleared a House vote last week. However, the White House cautioned in its December notice to the institution that any funds approved by Congress would only be available to the Smithsonian if it complied with the administration's review and impending corrections.
The OMB temporarily withheld congressionally apportioned funds last year, causing widespread confusion as federal agencies scrambled to comply with Trump's executive orders in order to receive their operational funding.
The news of the Smithsonian's cooperation with the Trump administration comes after the institution's National Portrait Gallery replaced a photograph of Trump and eliminated a wall text referencing his two impeachments and the January 6 insurrection, though references to Clinton's impeachment remained on display. The new placard simply states Trump's years in office, according to the Washington Post.
Historians have raised concerns over possible alterations to Smithsonian exhibits and content displayed at sites controlled by the National Park Service under Trump's executive orders. For months, Citizen Historians, led by Chandra Manning, Jim Millward, and Jessica Dickinson Goodman, has sent volunteers into the Smithsonian's museums to photograph items and wall texts.
In his Monday email, Bunch told staff that the institution would "continue to engage the White House, Congress, and government stakeholders."
"As a public service institution, we are committed to being transparent and open," Bunch wrote.
