Overview

• Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III sent letters on Sept. 2 to the White House and on Sept. 3 to staff saying the institution will conduct its own content review and outlining a small internal team to manage materials and timelines.
• The White House review focuses on eight museums, including American History, Natural History, African American History and Culture, the American Indian Museum, Air and Space, the American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Hirshhorn.
• The administration has not ordered any exhibit removals to date, and its process—reviewing exhibit texts and interviewing curators—is scheduled to run into early 2026.
• The Smithsonian says it is not a federal agency and is governed by a 17-member Board of Regents that includes the vice president and the chief justice, though it relies on congressional appropriations for a significant share of its budget.
• The White House has not publicly responded to Bunch’s latest letter after a recent lunch between Bunch and President Trump, who criticized the institution in August on social media.