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White House pressures Smithsonian for internal records, warns funding could be withheld: report
By Jasmine Baehr
Published December 19, 2025
The White House is escalating pressure on the Smithsonian Institution, demanding extensive internal records and warning that congressionally authorized funding could be withheld if the museum system does not comply by a mid-January deadline, according to a report by Bloomberg.
In a letter sent Thursday to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the administration wants assurances that Smithsonian leadership is prepared to present American history in a positive light as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026.
"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, according to Bloomberg.
"The American people will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history."
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President Donald Trump has ordered a review of Smithsonian's content ahead of the 250th birthday of America's founding. (Getty)
The report said the White House set a Jan. 13 deadline for the Smithsonian to turn over the requested records, warning that the administration could use the Office of Management and Budget’s apportionment authority to delay or withhold federal funding if the institution fails to comply.
This marks an intensification of a dispute that began earlier this year, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order accusing the Smithsonian of operating "under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology" and directing that the institution eliminate exhibits or programs that "degrade shared American values."
The White House letter, according to Bloomberg, accused the Smithsonian of slow-walking previous information requests and providing only cursory details about its programming, particularly with respect to future exhibitions planned between 2026 and 2029.
The administration said it wants detailed schedules and budgets as part of its review.
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The sweeping review first includes eight museums, most of which are under the Smithsonian Institution. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Smithsonian oversees some of the nation’s most prominent museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian.
Founded by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian is governed by a Board of Regents that includes members of Congress and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
The funding warning builds on earlier criticism from the Trump administration of Smithsonian exhibit content. In a July 5 Fox News Digital exclusive, White House official Lindsey Halligan accused the Smithsonian of using taxpayer dollars to promote "one-sided, divisive political narratives," pointing specifically to content in the National Museum of American History’s Entertainment Nation exhibit.
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The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
"American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives," Halligan told Fox News Digital at the time. She said exhibits should present history "in a way that is accurate, balanced and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional."
The Smithsonian said then that it is "committed to continuous and rigorous scholarship" and was reviewing exhibit content to ensure it meets institutional standards.
Bloomberg reported that the latest letter frames the records request as part of the administration’s preparations for the semiquincentennial, which Trump has signaled he wants to use to emphasize patriotism and a unifying national narrative.
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The Smithsonian receives roughly two-thirds of its annual budget from federal appropriations, according to previous reporting by Fox News Digital.
The White House and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-pressures-smithsonian-internal-records-warns-funding-could-withheld