‘Some of our work has not aligned with our institutional values of scholarship, even-handedness and nonpartisanship,’ the museum’s secretary wrote to staff.

The Smithsonian is pushing back against President Trump’s efforts to assert control over the research institution, but they’re not denying Trump’s allegations of partisanship, at least not internally.

In a Monday night email to staff, obtained by National Review, Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced the museum will undertake an assessment of the institution and evaluate the need for any changes to policy, procedures, or personnel in order to align with its nonpartisan mission. In doing so, he said some of the museum’s previous work had been partisan.

“In recent weeks, important concerns have been raised about partisanship within our institution,” he said. “While the vast majority of our content is rooted in meticulous research and thoughtful analysis of history and facts, we recognize that, on occasion, some of our work has not aligned with our institutional values of scholarship, even-handedness and nonpartisanship. For that, we must all work to do better.” 

Asked by National Review for examples of the partisanship Bunch referred to, the Smithsonian declined to comment.

The statement comes weeks after President Donald Trump announced on social media that he was firing Kim Sajet from her position as director of the National Portrait Gallery, one of more than 20 Smithsonian museums, and called her “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.” Trump has also targeted the Smithsonian in an executive order that directs the vice president to “eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the institute’s museums. 

In response to Trump’s announcement that he had fired the Sajet for displaying political partisanship, the Smithsonian has reasserted its authority over personnel decisions and publicly recommitted itself to nonpartisanship as an institution. 

“All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board,” Smithsonian said in a public statement Monday night. “Lonnie G. Bunch, the Secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.”

Asked by National Review to substantiate the claim that the Smithsonian has been corrupted by partisanship, a White House official pointed to several examples: Sajet initiated performance programming in 2022 that sought to highlight immigration, racial history, and Black women’s labor. The museum also relaxed the eligibility rules for its triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition in 2019 to allow portraits not made from life so contemporary artists could revisit historical narratives. Finalists for the competition highlighted immigration, the Black Lives Matter movement, the American worker, the military, and the LGBT community. In 2013, staff members at the National Portrait Gallery decided that 50 percent of all money spent on art would support diverse artists and portrait subjects.

Trump’s executive order singles out the National Museum of African American History and Culture, saying the museum “has proclaimed that ‘hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and ‘the nuclear family’ are aspects of ‘White culture’.”

Sajet was still reporting to work as of Tuesday, according to ABC news. It remains unclear if the Trump administration is still calling for her removal or if it has any legal right to do so.

While the museum’s statement counters Trump’s assertion of authority over personnel decisions, it indicates the museum may change course in coming weeks to realign with its nonpartisan mission.

“Since its inception, the Smithsonian has set out to be a nonpartisan institution,” the statement said. “As the nation’s museum, the Smithsonian must be a welcoming place of knowledge and discovery for all Americans. The Board of Regents is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence, and we recognize that our institution can and must do more to further these foundational values.” 

The statement and assessment are a result of action taken in the Board of Regents meeting, the Smithsonian confirmed. The board, which includes Vice President JD Vance and Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, is vested by Congress with the responsibility to administer the Smithsonian Institution. 

The text of the motion passed at the Board of Regents meeting, obtained by National Review, directs Bunch “to articulate specific expectations to museum directors regarding content … to give museum 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.”