The Smithsonian Institution has declared its independence in a statement that could be viewed as a rejection of US President Donald Trump’s firing of Kim Sajet, director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, earlier this year.
The Smithsonian 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.”
On 30 May, Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he would be dismissing Sajet, the first female director of the National Portrait Gallery, saying: “She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly.”
“All personnel decisions are made by the Secretary”
The statement from the Smithsonian, released on 9 June, reads: “In 1846, the Smithsonian was established by Congress as an independent entity.
“Throughout its history, the Smithsonian has been governed and administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary. The board is entrusted with the governance and independence of the Institution, and the board appoints a Secretary to manage the Institution.”
Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, instructing Vice President JD Vance, who became a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents due to his position in government, to remove any “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the museums, centres, and the National Zoo in Washington.
The president stated that over the last ten years, there has been a “concerted and widespread” initiative to rewrite US history, substituting “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.”
Last month, it was announced that a coalition of 21 state attorneys general is suing the Trump administration for attempting to dismantle federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
