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Smithsonian Board Reaffirms Secretary’s Authority After Trump’s Firing Claim

Governing regents directed Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III to oversee Smithsonian staffing after President Trump asserted he had dismissed a gallery director.

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Overview

  • On June 9, the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents issued a statement affirming that all personnel decisions rest with Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, not the president.
  • President Trump’s May 30 social media post claimed to fire National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet for alleged partisanship, though Sajet has continued to report to work.
  • The regents instructed Bunch to articulate clear expectations for museum directors and staff to maintain unbiased content and to report any needed personnel changes.
  • The White House has proposed a 12 percent reduction in the Smithsonian’s budget for 2026, including cuts to the Anacostia Community Museum and the planned National Museum of the American Latino
  • These developments follow Trump’s March executive order demanding an end to federal funding for exhibitions based on racial themes and efforts to purge “improper ideology” from Smithsonian institutions.