Trump Administration Threatens Smithsonian Funding Over Ideological Bias Claims

The Interior Department warned the Smithsonian it could lose executive-department support—including artifact loans, procurement, and grants—unless leadership addresses criticisms of a so-called ’culture of ideological activism’ and implements changes outlined in a White House report. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch pushed back, saying the museum’s work is driven by scholarship and accuracy, while the White House contends Smithsonian leadership is steering the institution away from its foundational mission, signaling a continuing political pressure campaign over how American history is presented.