The Smithsonian Institution is facing an escalating political and financial reckoning as the Trump administration questions how one of America’s most prominent cultural institutions presents the nation’s history — and how much taxpayers are paying for its leadership.
The controversy has intensified during America’s 250th-anniversary year, when Americans have been looking to the Smithsonian to help tell the story of the country’s founding, its struggles and its extraordinary achievements.
The institution did organize extensive anniversary programming in 2026. The National Museum of American History opened a massive exhibition, “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness,” featuring 250 objects across 250,000 square feet. It also held daily programs connected to the anniversary through July 4.
