Trump admin vows to withhold federal funds from Smithsonian for failing to fully comply with review

The administration this past summer began reviewing eight Smithsonian museums to ensure their exhibits and other content aligned with President Trump’s executive order

Published: December 22, 2025 8:10am

The Trump administration is vowing to withhold federal funding from the Smithsonian Institution if the museum system does not submit more documentation for a content review.

Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and White House budget director Russell Vought sent a letter Thursday to Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch outlining the material they said still must be submitted, according to The Hill newspaper. 

They also said in the letter the Smithsonian’s earlier submission “fell far short of what was requested, and the overwhelming majority of requested items remain outstanding.”

The administration this past summer began reviewing eight Smithsonian museums to ensure their exhibits and other content aligned with President Trump’s executive order “to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions," the Hill also reports. 

The letter stated funding for the Smithsonian museums is conditioned on adherence to the executive order and complying with the review process.

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