White House Renews Threats to Smithsonian Institution
A letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch reiterates that federal funds are conditional on the organization turning over records, including exhibition drafts.
In a new letter, the Trump White House has reignited its threat to pull funding from the Smithsonian Institution amid a probe of the federally funded organization's programming, budgets, and forthcoming commemorations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Dated December 18, the letter addressed to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III underscored that the institution has yet to provide the majority of the documents requested in August, including “current exhibition descriptions, draft plans for upcoming shows, upcoming programming materials, and internal guidelines used in exhibition development.”
Vince Haley, president of the Domestic Policy Council, and Russell Vought, president of the Office of Management and Budget, reiterated the US's semi-quincentennial celebration to Bunch in last week's notice, seeking assurance that “none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world.”
Haley and Vought emphasized that the apportioned government funding — which makes up 62% of the Smithsonian's budget — may be withheld if the Institution fails to comply with their request and suggested amendments.
Following the termination of all federally funded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices and initiatives in January, the Trump administration sharpened its aim at the Smithsonian's programming and operations in a March executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which afforded Vice President JD Vance the power to block funding for the organization if it continues to “portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
By August, Haley and Vought sent Bunch a letter outlining the administration's plan to conduct a “comprehensive internal review” of eight national history and art museums within the Smithsonian.
The letter instructed Bunch's office to hand over comprehensive files pertaining to all current and future programming and associated staff information, permanent collection inventories, public-facing and educational content, and detailed plans for the nation's 250th anniversary from the specific museums within 75 days. Per the letter, the review was to ensure that the Smithsonian observes the “President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism and remove divisive or partisan narratives.”
That month, President Trump went on a social media tirade against the Smithsonian's alleged focus on “how bad slavery was” and “how horrible our country is,” yielding a White House memo of 26 works and initiatives within the Smithsonian that went against the March executive order. The memo targeted specific artworks, including Amy Sherald’s 2024 painting “Trans Forming Liberty” and Hugo Crosthwaite's cartoons of Anthony Fauci.
The December letter acknowledged that the Smithsonian had provided a fraction of the requested files on September 18, but claimed no other documents had been made available since then, even in light of a deadline extension due to “ongoing staffing transitions.”
It remains unclear whether the administration accounted for the Smithsonian's month of suspended operations during the government shutdown, which was the longest in American history.
“The American people will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history, one which is justifiably proud of our country’s accomplishments and record,” the White House's letter read.
The Trump administration's targeted mandates and continued threats of blocked funding have already influenced the Institution's programming and operations.
Following the dissolution of DEI offices across the Smithsonian's museums, Trump claimed he fired the National Portrait Gallery's (NPG) former Director Kim Sajet (who later resigned on her own accord) because she was a “strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.” Sherald withdrew her revered traveling exhibition, American Sublime, from the NPG over concerns that the museum would remove her painting of a trans woman.
The National Museum of American History quietly closed an exhibition at its Molina Family Latino Gallery in August, a temporary space of the forthcoming National Museum of the American Latino, which has yet to be given a permanent physical building.
A spokesperson for the Smithsonian declined to comment on the recent letter in an email to Hyperallergic.
