'Absolutely none': The Smithsonian just unleashed a brutal smackdown on Trump

10 June

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 28, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis

The 179-year-old Smithsonian institute shook off President Donald Trump’s attempt to commandeer its board of regents last month when he allegedly “fired” the institution’s National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet.

“The Board of Regents will continue its vigilant, independent oversight of the Smithsonian and its museums to protect their rigorous scholarship and expertise, nonpartisanship, and accuracy, and ensure that the Smithsonian is welcoming to all Americans,” the Smithsonian insisted in a June 9 statement.

It added that “all personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board,” and that board secretary Lonnie G. Bunch “has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.”

In March, Trump signed an executive order ordering the Smithsonian to stop presenting U.S. history as “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed,” despite historians accepting as fact that racism, sexism and hardship is interwoven throughout U.S. history.

In a May 30 follow-up to his attack on the Smithsonian, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had fired Sajet after accusing her of being a “partisan person and a strong supporter of DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion], which is totally inappropriate for her position.” He added that he would name her replacement shortly.

Smithsonian leaders deny the meat of Trump’s accusation against the institution, however.

“Since its inception, the Smithsonian has set out to be a nonpartisan institution. As the nation’s museum, the Smithsonian must be a welcoming place of knowledge and discovery for all Americans,” leaders said in their statement. “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.”

The institution met the news of Sajat’s “firing” with equal esteem—with Sajet continuing her work without interruption, according to The Washington Post.

In a joint statement, Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said Trump “has no authority to fire employees of the Smithsonian Institution — including the Director of the National Portrait Gallery.”

“The dismissal of Director Sajet is unacceptable and has the same legal weight as the President’s prior attempts to undermine the Smithsonian’s independence: absolutely none. Should the White House require a copy of the Constitution, we would be more than happy to provide one.”

Read the full Daily Beast report at this link.

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