Smithsonian Board Reaffirms Autonomy after Trump Moves to Fire National Portrait Gallery Director
125June 11, 2025
The board of theSmithsonian Institutionin aJune 9 statementreasserted its independence and its power to hire and fire, effectively pushing back against President Donald Trump’s May 30 announcement on his Truth social media platform that he was dismissingNational Portrait GallerydirectorKim Sajet. The National Portrait Gallery is one of twenty-one museums that the Smithsonian oversees along with research facilities, libraries, and the National Zoo. Trump in his post had called Sajet “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI,” which he said was “totally inappropriate for her position.”
In the statement, which came on the heels of an emergency meeting held June 9, the board cited its 1846 establishment by Congress as an independent entity, noting that it had worked to remain nonpartisan since its founding. “The board is entrusted with the governance and independence of the institution, and the board appoints a secretary to manage the Institution,” wrote the board. “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 board additionally noted that it was taking steps to ensure that the Smithsonian remained nonpartisan.
“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,” wrote the board. “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 Smithsonian receives two-thirds of its annual funding from Congress and includes on its board members of all three branches of the US government. Its long history of independent operation calls into question the legality of Trump’s power over personnel matters within the organization. Following the president’s announcement, Sajet had continued to report to work. The president has sought to stamp US cultural institutions with his imprimatur, his efforts including the gutting of the National Endowment for the Arts and a March executive order commanding Vice President JD Vance, who sits on the Smithsonian’s board, to overhaul it with the aid of Congress. Trump has additionally proposed a 12 percent budget cut to the Smithsonian that would leave both the Anacostia Community Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino unfunded, and has appointed himself chairperson of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Washington Post reports that subscription sales at the Washington, DC, venue have since fallen 36 percent year-over-year.