White House threatens Smithsonian funding over museum exhibits and content

The White House is stepping up pressure on the Smithsonian Institution, demanding detailed internal records and warning that funding authorized by Congress could be withheld if the museum system does not comply by a mid-January deadline, according to a Bloomberg report.

In a letter sent Thursday to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the administration wants assurance that Smithsonian leaders are prepared to present American history in a positive light as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026.

“We want to be assured that none of the leaders of the Smithsonian museums are confused that the United States has been one of the greatest forces for good in world history,” the letter said, according to Bloomberg.

“The American people will have no patience for a museum that is suspicious of America’s founding or uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history.”

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President Donald Trump has ordered a review of the Smithsonian’s contents as the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches. (Getty)

The report said the White House set a Jan. 13 deadline for the Smithsonian to turn over requested documents, warning that the administration could use the Office of Management and Budget’s allocation authority to delay or withhold federal funding if the institution does not comply.

It marks an intensification of a dispute that began earlier this year, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order accusing the Smithsonian of operating “under the influence of a divisive and race-centered ideology” and ordering the institution to eliminate exhibits or programs that “degrade shared American values.”

The White House letter, according to Bloomberg, accused the Smithsonian of slowing down previous requests for information and providing only cursory details about its programming, particularly regarding future exhibitions planned between 2026 and 2029.

The administration has said it wants detailed timelines and budgets as part of its review.

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The comprehensive study first includes eight museums, most of which are part of the Smithsonian Institution. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Smithsonian oversees some of the nation’s most important museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Air and Space Museum, and the National Museum of the American Indian.

Founded by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian is governed by a board of regents that includes members of Congress and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

The funding warning builds on previous criticism from the Trump administration of the content of Smithsonian exhibits. In a July 5 Fox News Digital exclusive, White House official Lindsey Halligan accused the Smithsonian of using taxpayer dollars to promote “one-sided and divisive political narratives,” specifically highlighting content in the National Museum of American History’s Entertainment Nation exhibit.

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National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

“American taxpayers should not fund institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided and divisive political narratives,” Halligan told Fox News Digital at the time. She said exhibits should present history “in a manner that is accurate, balanced, and consistent with the values ​​that make the United States of America great.”

The Smithsonian said at the time that it was “committed to ongoing, rigorous research” and was reviewing the exhibit’s content to ensure it meets institutional standards.

Bloomberg reported that the latest letter frames the records request as part of the administration’s preparations for the half-century, which Trump has indicated he wants to use to emphasize patriotism and a unifying national narrative.

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The Smithsonian receives about two-thirds of its annual budget from federal appropriations, according to an earlier report from Fox News Digital.

The White House and Smithsonian did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.