White House threatens to withhold Smithsonian funds amid review

The White House threatened to withhold federal funding to the Smithsonian if the prestigious museum system does not submit additional documentation for the Trump administration’s sweeping content review. In a Thursday letter to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Domestic Policy Council director Vince Haley and White House budget director Russell Vought outlined the material they said still must be submitted, noting the Smithsonian’s earlier submission “fell far short of what was requested, and the overwhelming majority of requested items remain outstanding.” The Trump administration, in August, launched a review of eight Smithsonian museums aimed at ensuring “alignment” with President Trump’s executive order “to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.” In the Thursday letter, White House officials said funding for the Smithsonian museums is conditioned on adherence to Trump’s executive order and on compliance with the review process. “As you may know, funds apportioned for the Smithsonian Institution are only available for use in a manner consistent with Executive Order 14253, ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,’ and the fulfillment of the requests set forth in our August 12, 2025 letter,” Haley and Vought wrote in the letter. The initial material was due on Sept. 11, but White House officials extended the deadline to submit documentation “in recognition of ongoing staffing transitions at the Smithsonian.” Officials said in the Thursday letter, however, that no material had been provided since Sept. 18 and that much remains outstanding. Responding to the Trump administration on Friday, Bunch said in a letter obtained by The Washington Post that the Smithsonian is “committed to sharing information and data.” Bunch said the government shutdown delayed the requested work and asked White House officials to “please understand that this work has been time consuming, involving many staff and departments throughout the Smithsonian,” according to the letter. He added in the letter that he “would be pleased to meet and share an update on our internal efforts to review and update our content.” The Post also obtained an email sent to staff Friday evening in which Bunch said the Smithsonian intended to submit more information to the White House that day. He also maintained that “all content, programming, and curatorial decisions are made by the Smithsonian.” The Hill has reached out to Bunch for the letters and for comment.