The Smithsonian Institution is facing a significant funding reduction as part of the Trump administration's effort to remake the institution. The administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 is the smallest in years, reflecting a decline in the institution's annual funding request from $1.24 billion in fiscal year 2024 to below $1 billion.
The Smithsonian's budget requests have steadily increased during the Biden administration, with annual requests rising from $1.11 billion in fiscal year 2021 to a record $1.24 billion in fiscal year 2024. However, the Trump administration's proposed reduction marks the first time since fiscal year 2020 that the institution's annual request has fallen below $1 billion.
The proposed funding reduction comes as the White House expands its effort to reshape the Smithsonian, arguing that the institution has promoted ideological narratives at odds with its mission. The administration has directed the Smithsonian to change its exhibits, programming, leadership, and spending priorities, and has ordered the institution to promote a more accurate portrayal of American history.
The White House has conducted a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian, examining museum exhibits, educational programming, internal records, and leadership statements. The review culminated in a 162-page report recommending sweeping reforms and a new round of executive actions aimed at implementing those recommendations.
The Smithsonian Institution oversees 21 museums, the National Zoo, and nearly 157 million objects and specimens, and receives more than $1 billion annually in federal funding, in addition to private donations and other trust revenue. The taxpayer-supported institution has become the latest battleground in a broader national debate over patriotism, historical interpretation, and the role of federally funded cultural institutions in shaping how Americans understand the nation's past.
The budget proposal signals that the administration intends to use both policy and federal funding to reshape one of the nation's largest cultural institutions. Whether Congress adopts the administration's proposed funding levels remains to be seen.
