Overview

• The Board of Regents declared that only Secretary Lonnie Bunch has authority over all personnel decisions, countering President Trump’s May 30 announcement that he had fired National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet.
• Regents directed Bunch to set clear guidelines for museum directors and staff, give them time to implement changes, and report back on progress and any necessary personnel actions to ensure unbiased content.
• Kim Sajet remains in her position and continues to report to work despite the White House’s allegations that she was “highly partisan” and a strong supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• In March, President Trump issued an executive order tasking Vice President JD Vance with purging “improper ideology” from Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo as part of a broader effort to reshape federal cultural institutions.
• The White House’s proposed 2026 budget calls for a 12 percent reduction in Smithsonian funding, including eliminating standalone appropriations for the National Museum of the American Latino and the Anacostia Community Museum.