Smithsonian to Disobey Trumps Orders
Greetings Warriors
So here’s the deal—everyone’s eyes are on the Smithsonian right now after the National Gallery of Art in D.C. made the move to cancel its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. This is all happening because of an executive order signed by President Trump just hours after he took office, aiming to cut out all federally funded DEI initiatives.
Word from a memo by the United States Office of Personnel Management, confirmed by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, is that federal employees in any DEI-related offices were told they had to be put on paid leave by 5:00 p.m. EST Wednesday. And that’s just the start—more steps are being taken to shut down all DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility) programs, offices, and activities.
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But here’s the twist: the Smithsonian, which runs 21 museums (including some big ones about American art, portraiture, and African American history), has a different setup. So, the question is, will they follow Trump’s executive order or not?
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Turns out, the Smithsonian is unlike most other federal agencies. According to the Congressional Research Service, it’s “organizationally separate and distinct” from all three branches of government. The Smithsonian was founded in 1846 with a bequest from an English scientist named James Smithson, who passed away in 1829 and left his fortune to the U.S. government. Because of that, the Smithsonian is considered a “trust instrumentality” of the U.S., managed by a Board of Regents that has representatives from all three branches of government.
Now, what’s really interesting is that only 53% of the Smithsonian’s funding comes from the federal government. The rest comes from donations, grants, business ventures, and endowments, according to its 2023 annual report. So while many Smithsonian employees are technically federal workers, the trust-funded operations and activities involving non-federal staff may not have to follow the executive order.
Now, even though the National Gallery of Art is not technically part of the Smithsonian, its decision to pull DEI programs has got people wondering if other federally funded museums will do the same. The Smithsonian’s website still shows a diversity officer and director of access listed, and its Smithsonian Affiliations program—which lets over 200 museums borrow works and share educational strategies—continues to champion DEAI as “part of its organizational story.”
Still, the Smithsonian hasn’t commented on whether its DEI funding is being cut, whether employees in DEAI offices have been put on leave, or if it plans to shut down those offices. All we know is that this is one to watch.
