Smithsonian hands over documents as its leader tries to balance ‘principle and pragmatism’ in facing White House demands

By René Marsh, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN

(CNN) — As the Smithsonian faced a deadline to comply with the White House’s request for extensive documents about its museum exhibitions, Lonnie Bunch III, the historian who leads the institution, has been treading a careful line between maintaining independence and complying with the Trump administration’s demands.

On Tuesday, the Smithsonian handed over additional materials the White House had pushed for in December, when officials asked for curatorial manuals, proposals for future exhibitions, and in-depth information about the Smithsonian’s programming for the US’ 250th anniversary, among other things.

In an email to Smithsonian staff sent Tuesday, seen by CNN, Bunch informed employees that the materials that were handed over included “digital photographs of labels, placards, and other text on public display in several galleries.”

“We will continue to provide responsive information on a rolling basis. As a public service institution, we are committed to being transparent and open,” he wrote.

Mark Paoletta, general counsel for the White House Office of Management and Budget, confirmed the handover “per the White House’s letter requesting additional materials on exhibits” and said the documents are now being reviewed.

“We will continue to engage with the Smithsonian upon our review,” he said.

The world’s largest museum organization now finds itself in a rare and consequential test. The Smithsonian is legally structured to be independent but financially reliant on an administration seeking unprecedented insight into its operations and potential influence over its content.

How Bunch, a historian and curator who is well-respected throughout the museum world, navigates the administration’s attempts to wrest more control over the Smithsonian’s content could set a precedent for how far political power can reach into the nation’s most prominent cultural institutions.

According to a source close to the internal conversations, the administration’s attempts for more oversight and how to respond to it has dominated high-level discussions between Bunch and the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents, the 17-member panel that governs the institution.

Members of the board include Chief Justice John Roberts, Vice President JD Vance, Republican and Democratic members of Congress, and members of the public who are mostly former business executives and nonprofit board members.

According to the source familiar with internal conversations, government officials on the board are divided along party lines over whether the Trump administration should be reviewing, weighing in on, and attempting to influence museum content.

There is unanimity among the citizen members that the Smithsonian should remain independent and not be influenced by the administration, the source said.

Six of the nine public regents’ terms end this year, giving Trump a chance to expand his influence on the board before the midterm elections shake up Congress. New board members are appointed via congressional joint resolutions that the president must sign into law. Trump, in an executive order last year, directed Vance to seek the appointment of members that aligned with his priorities for the institution.

Roughly two-thirds of the Smithsonian’s funding comes from the federal government, and the administration has signaled that it would withhold money if the institution did not comply with its review.

Still, Bunch remains deeply devoted to ensuring that the Smithsonian presents an accurate portrayal of history and maintains its independence from politics, the source told CNN.

“There is a clear desire in the Smithsonian to try not to have bias in its exhibits sometimes that creeps in and so if we hear something, they would address it,” the person said.

But, they added, “if the Smithsonian believes what is stated and presented represents the best knowledge and understanding that exists today, the Smithsonian won’t want to change that.”

To manage the process of answering the White House request for documents, Bunch has assigned two senior deputies who are working on the issue daily, making judgments about which parts of the administration’s asks can be fulfilled and which cannot, based on capacity and resources.

“Lonnie makes the final decision— but again, it’s not that we don’t want to give them (the White House) this, it’s more we can’t do this, it takes too much time, we don’t have the resources.”

The source said the Smithsonian approached the request with an open mind, but that “when the ask becomes unreasonable” it may not comply, simply because “we don’t have the resources to respond.”

The Smithsonian is also mindful of the leverage that comes with federal funding.

“We don’t want to be in the position where these great museums are closed. So it’s really balancing principle and pragmatism, but the principle line is very strong.”

CNN has asked the Smithsonian for comment regarding Bunch and the board’s positions.

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