Smithsonian Chief Says Trump Has Not Ordered Exhibit Changes for America's 250th

The political context

Since Trump's second inauguration, the Smithsonian has been under pressure to remove what the administration has called "woke" ideology from its exhibits. The administration launched a formal review and requested documents from the institution.

What Bunch says

In a rare interview, Secretary Bunch told CNN that the White House has not made any specific requests to change exhibits or remove content: "We wait to hear," he said. The Smithsonian has "given everything that's been asked" in terms of documentation.

The exhibition

The America 250 exhibition — timed to the nation's semiseptennial — is now open. Featured items include:

• Thomas Jefferson's portable writing desk, on which the Declaration of Independence was drafted
• The first gold nugget found in California's 1848 gold rush
• Martin Luther King Jr.'s handwritten draft of the "I Have a Dream" speech
• Objects spanning the full range of American history, including its darkest chapters

Bunch's approach

Bunch says the exhibition was designed to show "America's struggles and aspirations" in their full complexity. He has been careful not to antagonize the administration publicly while maintaining the institution's scholarly independence.

Institutional stakes

The Smithsonian receives roughly 65% of its funding from Congress. Its independence in shaping historical narratives is considered foundational to its credibility as the nation's attic.