The Trump administration will begin a “comprehensive internal review” of the Smithsonian Institution, including an examination of exhibitions, curatorial processes, educational materials, and programming related to the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding.
In a letter addressed to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch yesterday, August 12, White House officials asked the institution to turn over a number of materials, including plans for America 250 programming, within 30 days.
“This initiative aims to ensure alignment with the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions,” reads the letter signed by Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Staff Secretary Lindsey L. Halligan, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council Vince Haley, and Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought.
Following months of scrutiny of the Smithsonian as part of Trump’s promise to rid museums of “divisive narratives,” the missive marks the first public outline of an official review of the institution. Within the first month, the letter states, Trump officials will conduct on-site visits to “document themes, visitor experience, and visual messaging” in eight Smithsonian museums to encourage “uplifting and inclusive” portrayals of America’s history.
Among the likely first exhibitions under review by Trump fall under the institution’s semiquincentennial programming, Our Shared Future: 250. Programs in the series, open at various times throughout 2025 and 2026, and include a 250-object exhibition on the Declaration of Independence, In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness at the National Museum of American History. Other programs include a survey of photography from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection, a folk festival, and a block party at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Within four months of the letter, the Trump administration said the Smithsonian should “begin implementing content corrections” and replace public-facing “divisive” language with “unifying” descriptions. Ultimately, the administration seeks to focus the museums on “American exceptionalism.”
“The Smithsonian’s work is grounded in a deep commitment to scholarly excellence, rigorous research, and the accurate, factual presentation of history,” a Smithsonian spokesperson said in a statement to Hyperallergic. “We are reviewing the letter with this commitment in mind and will continue to collaborate constructively with the White House, Congress, and our governing Board of Regents.”
The spokesperson did not say whether the institution would accept content revisions.
Congressional Democrats, including Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, have raised concerns in the preceding months about Trump’s political ambitions for the Smithsonian and called for an investigation into the institution’s integrity. In a statement, PEN America condemned the impending review as a “betrayal” of democratic tradition.
Within 75 days, the Trump administration asked Bunch to turn over an index of all collection items across the Smithsonian, including online exhibition descriptions, the names of artists who have received Smithsonian grants, and visitor experience surveys.
The National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of American History are among the first museums to be scrutinized in the administration’s initial phase. In May, long-time leader of the National Portrait Gallery Kim Sajet resigned after Trump accused her of being highly partisan. This week, the Smithsonian faced backlash after removing and rewriting descriptions of Trump’s double impeachment. More museums will be reviewed later, the letter said.
