Smithsonian hands exhibit details to White House amid pressure for upbeat US history

The exchange marks the latest step in months of pressure on one of the country’s most prominent cultural networks, raising concerns among historians about political interference in how the nation’s past is presented as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in July.

The Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday gave White House officials new documents detailing its planned exhibits, meeting a deadline set by the Trump administration, which has threatened to withhold federal funding unless the institution presents a more positive portrayal of American history.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III told staff in an email, obtained by The New York Times and The Washington Post, that “we transmitted more information in response to that request.” Bunch said the institution would continue to engage by providing “relevant and appropriate materials.” The White House did not respond to a request for comment, leaving unclear whether it was satisfied with what it received.

Escalating demands

The White House had set Tuesday as the deadline for the Smithsonian to provide lists of all displays, objects, wall text and other material related to the nation’s 250th anniversary and other purposes. The Smithsonian, which operates 21 museums and a zoo among Washington’s most visited destinations, is not a federal entity but receives a majority of its funding from Congress.

The ultimatum was laid out in a Dec. 18 letter to Bunch from White House budget director Russell Vought and domestic policy director Vince Haley.

“We wish to be assured that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world,” the letter said.

Americans, the letter continued, “will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history, one which is justifiably proud of our country’s accomplishments and record.”

The White House initially requested all relevant materials from the Smithsonian in September but said documents subsequently submitted fell far short of what it required.

Historians’ concerns

The prospect of political direction over the content of major historical institutions drew criticism from scholars.

“History is about evidence,” said Matthew Delmont, a history professor at Dartmouth College. “It’s about welcoming complexity and nuance. It’s not about crafting a single story that needs to make everyone feel happy.”

Jim McSweeney, a retired archivist from the National Archives, said: “Here’s our history. Here’s our shared experience. We have to learn from it and never go back and try to whitewash or change anything based upon your political leanings.”

Broader context

In a March executive order, Trump claimed there had been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite American history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.” Trump directed Vice President JD Vance — who was already on the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, as all vice presidents are — to oversee efforts to “remove improper ideology” from the institution.

References to Trump’s two impeachments have since been removed from his photo portrait display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in its “American Presidents” exhibition, though that text remained available online.

The Smithsonian review is part of a wider White House effort to reshape how American culture and history are presented publicly. Trump fired the board of the Kennedy Center and handpicked a new board that voted to add his name to the complex’s exterior; a number of artists have since withdrawn from performances there. At the White House, Trump also designed what he called a “Presidential Walk of Fame” featuring gilded photographs of himself and predecessors, excluding former President Joe Biden.

Administration officials have framed the exhibit accounting as preparation for the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, which the Dec. 18 letter described as “a singular opportunity to justify confidence in the operations of America’s leading cultural institutions.”