<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal support to the Smithsonian Institution amid ongoing debate regarding the institution's portrayal of U.S. history and alleged political activism. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Executive departments and agencies could sever ties with the Smithsonian if Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and White House domestic policy assistant Vince Haley proceed with the option outlined in their letter to the Smithsonian board. The letter claims that the Smithsonian may have violated anti-discrimination laws. This follows a previous suggestion from the White House to potentially withdraw $1 billion in federal funding, which constitutes approximately 62% of the institution’s budget.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Those executive departments and agencies cannot in good conscience continue to support the Smithsonian under current leadership by, for example, loaning artifacts for exhibits, enabling procurement processes, and making discretionary grants,” the letter stated.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The letter further emphasized the executive branch's responsibility to ensure that taxpayer funds and support for the Smithsonian are used to preserve cultural heritage rather than to promote a divisive ideological agenda.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The two officials requested an in-person meeting with the board “at their earliest convenience” to discuss the issues raised in the letter, which referenced a 162-page report published by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report criticized the Smithsonian's portrayal of American history, with specific accusations against the National Museum of American History for “anti-White activism,” “transgender activism,” and “extreme political activism.” In July, President Trump ordered the museum to display warning signs that highlighted the findings of the White House report, which concluded that the Smithsonian prioritized ideological bias over historical accuracy.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Smithsonian has sought to address concerns regarding its narrative in exhibits and displays.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Anthea Hartig, the director of the National Museum of American History, stated during congressional testimony in July, “The museum does not take sides in America’s political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions.”</p>