On Monday evening, the Smithsonian Institution released its first statement since President Donald Trump said he fired National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet.
In its statement, the institution affirmed that it is an “independent entity.” While the statement did not name Sajet nor call out Trump directly, it stated, “All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board. Lonnie G. Bunch, the Secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.”
The New York Times reported that the statement was released hours after the quarterly meeting of the Institution’s Board of Regents, of which Vice President JD Vance is a member.
Released on the Smithsonian’s website, the statement appears to confirm what has been happening in practice. Last week, the Washington Post reported that Sajet was continuing to work at the National Portrait Gallery despite Trump’s supposed firing. The Post also reported that the Trump administration provided, as justification for the dismissal, a 17-point list of what the administration described as times Sajet spoke or acted in ways critical of Trump.
The Smithsonian’s statement seemed to allude obliquely to the administration’s complaints, writing, “To reinforce our nonpartisan stature, the Board of Regents has directed the Secretary to articulate specific expectations to museum directors and staff regarding content in Smithsonian museums, give directors reasonable time to make any needed changes to ensure unbiased content, and to report back to the Board on progress and any needed personnel changes based on success or lack thereof in making the needed changes.”
The National Portrait Gallery is one of many museums managed by the Smithsonian, whose network also includes the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, all in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian also manages a few museums outside D.C., including the National Museum of the American Indian, which operates a New York branch in addition a D.C. one.
The statement comes just days after the White House released its proposed 2026 budget, which calls for a 12 percent reduction in funding to the Smithsonian. The cuts would eliminate separate funding to the long-gestating National Museum of the American Latino, forcing it to reduce staff from 35 people to just 6. The Anacostia Community Museum, meanwhile, would be folded into the NMAAHC.
In a video conference call with the National Portrait Gallery board of commissioners last week, Sajet said that the budget cuts would fall disproportionately on the museums’ facilities and infrastructure, the New York Times reported Monday. “That’s maintaining our museums, storage, upgrades and, you know, all the care that goes into it,” she said.
Trump has previously targeted the Smithsonian in the form of an executive order in which he accused its museums of putting forward “improper ideology” via “exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values.” That executive order singled out shows at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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