Overview
- A Thursday letter from senior White House officials set a January 13, 2026 deadline for the Smithsonian to submit extensive internal records across its museums.
- The administration warned it could use OMB apportionment authority to delay or withhold congressionally authorized funding if the institution does not comply.
- Requested materials include exhibition plans and current content, budgets, internal guidelines, partnership lists, and detailed schedules and costs for programs planned from 2026 to 2029.
- The letter insists museum leadership convey a positive view of U.S. history as part of a review launched under a Trump executive order targeting what it calls divisive narratives.
- Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch reportedly pledged to provide information after a 43‑day government shutdown slowed the work, with federal appropriations supplying about two‑thirds of the institution’s roughly $1.25 billion budget.