The Smithsonian has spent months in the middle of a fight over how American history should be presented, with the Trump administration repeatedly criticizing some of its museums and exhibits. That fight has now moved beyond what visitors see inside the museums and into the institution’s relationship with other federal agencies.
The latest warning came as Trump and his administration continued to challenge the Smithsonian’s approach to American history and diversity. According to Reuters, federal officials threatened on September 3 to stop providing some forms of support to the institution, adding another layer to a dispute that has already included a White House review of some Smithsonian museums.
The Smithsonian is a major institution at the center of the fight. It runs 21 museums and galleries along with the National Zoo, giving it a major role in how millions of visitors encounter American history and culture.
The administration is putting pressure on how the Smithsonian operates
The warning came in a letter from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley to the Smithsonian’s governing board. The officials said federal 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 was not an announcement that the Smithsonian had lost its federal funding. Instead, it targeted support that federal agencies provide to the institution, including artifact loans, procurement help and discretionary grants. Reuters also noted that Trump had previously threatened to cut federal funding for the Smithsonian.
The administration also alleged that the Smithsonian may have violated anti-discrimination laws through its diversity practices. The letter called for Smithsonian leaders to meet with the Trump administration over those concerns. Reuters did not report that the Smithsonian had been found to have violated those laws.
The latest move follows months of criticism from Trump. He has complained about what he sees as an excessive focus on the brutality of slavery at the Smithsonian, while his administration has also reviewed some of the institution’s museums.
That review led to a White House report criticizing the National Museum of American History. The report described the museum as showing “thinly veiled anti-Americanism” and “extreme political activism.” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch rejected that characterization and said the report was unfair.
The fight is especially sensitive when it comes to slavery and other painful parts of American history. Trump’s criticism of how those subjects are presented has turned what might normally be a curatorial debate into a much broader fight over the Smithsonian’s role.
That debate has already reached other federal historical sites, including the controversy over a slavery exhibit being removed. The two cases are different, but both have raised questions about what happens when political officials become involved in decisions about how American history is presented.
Historians and civil rights advocates have criticized Trump’s attacks on the Smithsonian. They have warned that the administration’s actions could affect how important parts of U.S. history are acknowledged and presented to the public.
Diversity has also become part of the dispute. Trump’s administration has argued that some diversity programs discriminate against white people and men, while civil rights advocates say those programs are intended to address longstanding inequalities affecting groups including ethnic minorities, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump has also ordered signs outside the National Museum of American History reflecting his administration’s criticism. The move has made the dispute visible to people visiting the museum rather than leaving it as a disagreement between officials behind the scenes.
The dispute also comes as the administration faces broader questions over federal spending priorities, including reports that park funds were redirected toward projects associated with Trump. Those spending decisions have added to wider scrutiny of how the administration is using federal resources.
The latest letter expands the fight beyond individual exhibits and puts the Smithsonian’s relationships with other federal agencies under pressure. It also adds another point of tension to an already lengthy dispute over how the institution presents American history.
Published: Sep 6, 2026 07:15 am