To prepare for the 250th anniversary of the U.S.’ founding in 2026, President Donald Trump has placed the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest complex of museums used for education and research, under comprehensive review.
While most of the organization’s buildings are in Washington D.C., the institute also maintains facilities around the globe, with research centers found nationally and internationally.
The institute views its facilities as a way for people to both learn from and understand history, and to prepare future generations.
Traditionally, the Smithsonian is an independent institution.
According to an executive order released in March, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” the Smithsonian fell under negative influences promoting “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.”
Section two of the order expressed that the Smithsonian needed saving and the administration will “restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness …”
On Aug. 12, White House presidential aides Lindsey Halligan, Vince Haley and Russell Vought sent a letter to the secretary of the Smithsonian, officially announcing details of the review it will undergo, outlining a timeline of what should be achieved by eight of their museums within a span of 120 days.
The goal of the review is to ensure the focus on Americanism and American Exceptionalism within their museums.
The letter requested exhibition plans for the anniversary, grant application documents, all funding agreements and the identity of anyone who had received Smithsonian grants. It also stated interviews would need to be conducted with museum staff and curators.
The Smithsonian museums currently being put under review include the National Museums of American History and Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
One thing pointed out as unaligned with the executive order was the recognition of transgender women in the American Women’s History Museum. The administration referred to this as “improper ideology.”
Trump indicated in the order that any museum, monument or park that expresses such ideologies inconsistent with his laws and policies would have its federal funding withdrawn.
The Smithsonian currently receives 62% of its budget from federal funding, with an appropriation of over $1 billion.
PEN America, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect literature, human rights and free expression globally, expressed concern at the possibility of Trump attempting to rewrite American history, stripping it of certain truths.
International human rights attorney and PEN America’s managing director Hadar Harris released a statement sharing her thoughts on how to tell the nation’s story.
“Telling the story of the United States must extend to the full and complex history of its past and present, including an honest assessment of wrongs and injustices, and a recognition of the never-ending project of creating a more perfect union,” Harris said.
She ended her statement emphasizing the importance of allowing curators and historians to do their work without political interference.
The American Historical Association’s executive director Sarah Weicksel said that for the Smithsonian to fully uphold its core values, it is “tasked with explaining a whole, complete, really messy history to the American public and to international visitors alike.”
Weicksel said that museums need to acknowledge the mistakes of the past. “If you come into the museum and you don’t see people who look like you, people who have had experiences like you, you notice that, and it seems like you are seemingly someone who has no history. And that’s simply untrue,” Weicksel said.
The administration’s letter agreed with the Smithsonian’s goals of being a “welcoming place of knowledge and discovery for all Americans.” The letter did not, however, note the line directly afterwards. It stated, “The Board of Regents committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence, and we recognize that our institution can and must do more to further these foundational values.”
In response to the letter, the Smithsonian said it is “grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research and the accurate, factual presentation of history.” The institute stated it is reviewing the letter with those statements in mind.
