Trump's week in review: DC takeover to reduce crime, 'Pursuing Peace' summit with Putin

4. Trump admin announces probe of Smithsonian Institution

In a letter released Tuesday, Trump administration officials, including Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, informed Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch of their intention to conduct a “comprehensive internal review of selected Smithsonian museums and exhibitions.”

The stated purpose of the review is to ensure compliance with an executive order signed by Trump designed to ensure that taxpayer-funded institutions “celebrate American exceptionalism” and “remove divisive or partisan narratives.”

Museums subject to the review are the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The letter noted that additional museums were expected to be subject to review at a later date. 

The Trump administration is requesting that each of the museums subject to the review provide information on any programming related to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of the Independence, current exhibition content, traveling and upcoming exhibitions through 2029, internal guidelines and governance, information on all permanent exhibitions, educational materials, museum websites, a list of external partnerships and information about grants and surveys evaluating visitors’ experiences. 

Museums have 75 days to provide all the materials requested by the Trump administration and 120 days to implement “content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials.”