What do Trump demands mean for Smithsonian鈥檚 independence?
| Washington
In a dispute with the Trump administration that threatens to change the museum鈥檚 historic independence from the executive branch, the Smithsonian Institution faces a Jan. 13 deadline to turn over records about its content to the government or face possible funding cuts.
The world鈥檚 largest museum and research complex, including 21 free museums in Washington that range in focus from American history to art, to air and space, makes its own decisions about its exhibits and how to present historical narratives. About 17 million people visit the museums each year.
The deadline signals a potential turning point in President Donald Trump鈥檚 yearlong effort to manage what visitors see at Smithsonian museums, including during the celebration of America鈥檚 250th birthday. The Smithsonian did not immediately comment on whether it would comply with Mr. Trump鈥檚 demand.
Why We Wrote This
The Smithsonian Institution receives federal money but historically has made its own decisions about how to tell the American story. Now, the Trump White House wants to make sure museum exhibits conform to its ideology.
He has ordered the end of funding for exhibits that 鈥渄ivide Americans based on race,鈥� an examination of historic displays in national parks, and a 鈥渇ocus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people.鈥� While many of President Trump鈥檚 supporters argue that highlighting historic divisions can diminish Americans鈥� sense of national pride, many historians say that grappling with the darker aspects of American history is important, so negative moves are not repeated.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always scrutiny around museums and how they tell stories,鈥� says Suse Anderson, head of the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 because the work of museums is deeply important in reflecting a people back to itself.鈥�
But, Ms. Anderson says, the aggressiveness with which the Trump administration is pursuing its goals is unlike anything the Smithsonian has experienced before.
鈥淭hose with power are always interested in trying to get the official message within the museums to align their vision and what they鈥檙e trying to achieve,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the reasons museums have developed practices, professional codes of ethics, why their institutional independence is so important.鈥�
Removing 鈥渋mproper ideology鈥�
The Smithsonian is a uniquely structured institution. It is overseen by a Board of Regents made up of citizens, as well as members from the three branches of the U.S. government. Some 63% of the Smithsonian鈥檚 budget of over $1 billion is funded by congressional appropriations.
In March 2025, Mr. Trump signed an executive order titled 鈥淩estoring Truth and Sanity to American History.鈥� He accused the Smithsonian of rewriting history in a way that contributed to a sense of 鈥渘ational shame.鈥�
The President also ordered Vice President JD Vance to leverage his position on the Smithsonian鈥檚 Board of Regents to remove exhibits or programs with 鈥渋mproper ideology.鈥� Examples included exhibitions featuring transgender athletes and those that presented race as a social, rather than biological, matter or construct.
Then, last August, the Trump administration wrote to the Smithsonian鈥檚 secretary announcing a comprehensive review of the content in eight museums ahead of the celebration of America鈥檚 250th anniversary. The review sought to ensure museums 鈥渃elebrate American exceptionalism鈥� and 鈥渞emove divisive or partisan narratives.鈥� A follow-up dated Dec. 18 accused the Smithsonian of failing to turn over all the requested material and set a Jan. 13 deadline for the rest, noting that much of the Smithsonian鈥檚 funding is federal money, controlled by Congress.
The National Portrait Gallery, part of the Smithsonian, last week removed a label accompanying Mr. Trump鈥檚 portrait in the museum鈥檚 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Presidents鈥欌�� exhibition, which included text that noted that he was 鈥渋mpeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection.鈥� It鈥檚 not clear whether that was connected to the museum complex鈥檚 dispute with the administration.
Since at least 2020, Mr. Trump and conservative commentators have criticized the Smithsonian for incorporating what they call a leftist agenda. A 2020 exhibit at the National Museum for African American History and Culture drew particular ire for listing traits of 鈥渨hite dominant culture,鈥� including hard work and the nuclear family. Following backlash, the museum took down the exhibition and issued an apology.
Mr. Trump has also accused the museums of overemphasizing dark parts of U.S. history, like slavery, and downplaying American achievements. The public鈥檚 response is divided. Overall, 6 in 10 people oppose Mr. Trump鈥檚 efforts to review the Smithsonian鈥檚 contents, but almost 70% of Republicans indicate support, according to an August Quinnipiac University
David Blight, a Yale history professor who sits on the National Portrait Gallery鈥檚 board of commissioners, says while disagreements often arise about a particular exhibit, outside interference, especially by politicians, is not needed. There are mechanisms within the museum鈥檚 independent structure, he notes, to have constructive debates and then find solutions.
鈥淵ou can have tremendous fights, but that鈥檚 the professionalism of it,鈥� he says.
Precedent of independence
Sarah Weicksel, the executive director of the American Historical Association and a former historian at the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Museum of American History, says complexity is part of the museum experience.
鈥淎 museum is never intended to produce a single definitive story,鈥� Ms. Weicksel says. It is 鈥渁n entry point for visitors to learn, to question, and to continue to explore once they leave that museum.鈥�
Museum exhibitions typically undergo a lengthy internal review before being opened to the public. Mr. Blight says that process often takes two to three years and involves collecting input from groups of scholars, as well as from experts in audio and visual displays.
Throughout history, there have been museum exhibits that sparked public controversy. In the mid-1990s, for example, a planned exhibit in the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Air and Space museum featuring a refurbished Enola Gay 鈥� the B-29 plane that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in World War II 鈥� was criticized by many veterans and citizens who said the script presented American soldiers as vengeful. The exhibit was eventually canceled.
However, experts say that although the Smithsonian has weathered heated disputes, it has dealt with them independently through intellectual discussion. The difference now, they say, is that a presidential administration is trying to leverage its power to influence what should and should not be displayed.
On Monday afternoon, Shawn Tes and her husband, Sam Tes, have just finished visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It is the two Alaskans鈥� first time in Washington, and Mr. Trump鈥檚 plans for the Smithsonian have been on their minds.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been talking about that since we got here,鈥� Ms. Tes says. 鈥淭his visit brings up a lot of emotions for us.鈥�
Mr. Tes is a naturalized refugee who came to the United States from Cambodia in 1980. He says visiting Washington and seeing museums makes him feel very 鈥減roud.鈥欌�� But he and his wife are unsettled. They say they are concerned that some important parts of history could be edited out.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot at stake,鈥� says Ms. Tes. 鈥淲e鈥檝e come so far 鈥� have you been in there?鈥� she asks, gesturing behind her to the African American history museum.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 move forward and heal if we don鈥檛 acknowledge the past.鈥�
