The Smithsonian Institution’s leader met with US President Donald Trump at the White House this week while the museum group’s programmes are under review by the White House. Lonnie G. Bunch III, the Smithsonian’s secretary, was summoned by Trump for a lunch meeting on 28 August, a conversation that a White House official described as “productive and cordial” to The New York Times. Trump and Bunch were joined by Lindsey Halligan, an assistant to the president who is spearheading the White House’s review of the Smithsonian.
Representatives for the White House and the Smithsonian have not discussed details of the meeting, but it occurred amid the administration’s efforts influence Smithsonian programming. Trump has criticised the exhibits at certain Smithsonian museums for promoting “divisive narratives” and “race-centered ideology”.
According to the letter sent to Bunch announcing the White House review of activities at eight of the 21 museums under the Smithsonian umbrella, the purpose of the review is “to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals”. The letter noted that museums would be required to change any content that the administration deemed inappropriate within 120 days, “replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions”.
The Trump administration has drawn criticism for its attempts to control the Smithsonian, which is not part of the federal government. The Smithsonian receives around 53% of its overall funding (which totaled $1.09bn in fiscal year 2024) via appropriations determined by the US Congress. It is governed by a board of regents that includes the chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, and Vice President J.D. Vance, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, plus leaders from the business and cultural fields.
In May, Trump attempted to fire the director of Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet, citing her “highly partisan” values. The Smithsonian stated that only the institution had the capability to make such personnel decision; Sajet eventually resigned.
After the White House launched its review of the Smithsonian, Trump took to social media to critique it. He claimed the institution “is out of control, everything discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been—nothing about success, nothing about brightness, nothing about the future”.
