President Donald Trump has sought to exert control over the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, particularly as it relates to slavery and other dark periods in the nation’s past.Lonnie Bunch III, the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, told staff their duty is to "serve the American public with clarity and care.”Al Drago / The Washington Post via Getty Images fileJuly 9, 2026, 12:10 PM EDTWASHINGTON — The Trump administration has opened a new front in its yearlong feud with Washington’s iconic Smithsonian Institution, the steward of 21 museums, the National Zoo and 14 research and education centers for 180 years.Just a moment.We are getting your experience ready.
Smithsonian pushes back on Trump’s criticism of the American History museum
President Donald Trump has sought to exert control over the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, particularly as it relates to slavery and other dark periods in the nation’s past.
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