Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III sent letters to the White House and staff asserting the institution's independence after President Donald Trump ordered a comprehensive review of eight Smithsonian museums. The review, initiated by an August 12 White House letter, targets exhibitions, collections, and programming for alleged bias and divisive content. Bunch stated the Smithsonian is conducting its own internal review to ensure nonpartisan, factual programming, emphasizing that the institution retains authority over its content. The letters follow Trump's social media attack on the Smithsonian and an earlier executive order directing Vice President J.D. Vance to remove what the administration calls 'race-centred ideology.'
This clash matters because it tests the Smithsonian's autonomy as a federally funded but independent trust. The institution receives about 53% of its $1 billion annual budget from Congress, giving the White House leverage despite its governance by a Board of Regents including congressional members and the Chief Justice. The dispute has already led to the resignation of National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet after Trump attempted to fire her, and artist Amy Sherald canceled a leg of her traveling exhibition at the NPG. The outcome could set a precedent for how the federal government influences cultural programming at major national museums.