US EditionSmithsonian Institution Rejects Trump's Attempt to Fire National Portrait Gallery Director
- Following a quarterly meeting of its Board of Regents in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution issued a statement Monday evening affirming its autonomous status.
- This statement addressed the controversy surrounding President Trump’s decision in late May to remove Kim Sajet from her role as Director of the National Portrait Gallery, a topic discussed during the highly anticipated Regents meeting.
- While Sajet has continued working despite Trump's social media announcement, the Smithsonian emphasized that all personnel decisions fall to Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch with Board oversight.
- The White House's proposed budget for 2026 includes a 12% reduction in funding for the Smithsonian, which would cut support for the developing Latino heritage museum near the National Mall and the Anacostia Community Museum, established in 1967.
- The Smithsonian’s statement and Regents’ directives affirm its nonpartisan mission and suggest ongoing efforts to maintain unbiased museum content amid political pressures.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Smithsonian Defies Trump’s ‘Firing’ Of Director
You may recall that Trump announced he had fired Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet late last month. But as I wrote in my post about that, it seemed pretty clear Trump did not have the authority to do so. The head of the Smithsonian came to the same conclusion and the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents publicly agreed. One member of that board is John Roberts, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The regents’ response is a …
'Free from Political or Partisan Influence': Smithsonian Institution Defies Trump's Order Firing Director, Says Secretary Is the Only One Who Makes ‘Personnel Decisions'
The venerable Smithsonian Institution is taking a stand against the Trump administration, asserting that it has sole authority over its hiring practices, even as it tries not to provoke President Donald Trump. The museum’s governing board released a statement after a meeting Monday, its first comments since Trump said last month that he had fired the director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet. The cultural institution sai…
Smithsonian Will Conduct Content Review Of Collections after Trump Request
“The board directed the secretary to assess content in museums and make needed changes to ensure unbiased content, including personnel changes,” a Smithsonian spokesman said. – The Wall Street Journal
Smithsonian Pushes Back Against Trump’s Meddling in Defiant Statement
Since President Trump announced last month that he had fired the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG) director, Kim Sajet, for her supposed proclivity toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the longtime museum leader has reportedly shown up for work anyway. In a statement issued Monday, June 9, the Smithsonian Institution clarified that only its secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch, wields the authority to determine “personnel decisions” …
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