Latest news with #LonnieBunch
Wall Street Journal
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The Smithsonian's Statement of Independence
Monday's announcement by the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents, its governing body, reaffirming the sole authority of the Secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch, to hire and fire its employees introduces a welcome note of clarity into the fraught cultural environment created in recent months by the Trump administration. That it does more is equally good news. On May 30, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he was firing National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet (pronounced Say-et), accusing her of being 'a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.' This was the latest in a series of actions that represent an unprecedented level of involvement by the executive branch in the nation's intellectual and cultural life. Among other things, President Trump has replaced the entire leadership of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, fired the Librarian of Congress, and has canceled grants awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities so that money can fund the National Garden of American Heroes, an outdoor display of statuary memorializing notable citizens.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Smithsonian affirms independence after Trump says he fired head of Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian tried to affirm its autonomy from outside influences in a statement on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that he fired National Portrait Gallery head Kim Sajet for being a "highly partisan person." The institution, which is the world's largest museum, education and research complex, sent the statement after a Monday Board of Regents meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, according to a document the Smithsonian sent ABC News on Monday. Board of Regent meetings are held at least four times a year. Vance and Roberts are both ex officio members, meaning they act in advisory roles. "All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board," the Smithsonian said in its statement. "Lonnie G. Bunch, the Secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian." MORE: Trump signs executive order targeting monuments at parks, museums, zoo The panel is also comprised of senators appointed by the president, including Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI); Representatives selected by the Speaker of the House, including Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL); and nine Citizen Regents, according to a document the Smithsonian sent ABC News on Monday. The Smithsonian's statement comes after Trump's May 30 announcement on social media that he fired Sajet, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery director. He described Sajet as "a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position." Sajet rejected artist Julian Raven's 2016 Trump painting for submission in the National Portrait Gallery, according to a statement from a Smithsonian spokesperson on Tuesday. She is still reporting to work at the Portrait Gallery, the spokesperson noted. "While the vast majority of our content is rooted in meticulous research and thoughtful analysis of history and facts, we recognize that, on occasion, some of our work has not aligned with our institutional values of scholarship, even-handedness and nonpartisanship. For that, we must all work to do better," Bunch, the board secretary, said in a message to Smithsonian staff on Monday after the board meeting. "Our institution must be a place where people feel inspired and challenged, but most importantly feel welcome. ... As always, we thank the President and Congress for their steady commitment to the Smithsonian and to preserving it for our visitors and our country." The museum also appeared to address the Trump administration's concerns about biased content and staff at the institution in its statement on Monday. "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 said in its statement Monday. The museum did not respond to ABC News' questions regarding deadlines for museum directors to make changes and report back to the board, and the vice president's office did not immediately reply to a request for a statement. MORE: Concerns at national parks ahead of spring break Trump signed an executive order last month placing Vance in charge of supervising efforts to "remove improper ideology" from all areas of the Smithsonian and targeted funding for programs that advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology," according to the Associated Press. The president also fired members of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' board of trustees and installed himself as chairman of the institution in February. ABC News' Kyra Phillips, April Williams, Molly Nagle and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this story.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Smithsonian rejects Trump's attempt to fire National Portrait Gallery director
The Smithsonian Institution has rebuffed Donald Trump's attempt to fire the director of its National Portrait Gallery, with the museum's governing board asserting its independence in a direct challenge to the president. In a statement issued after an emergency meeting Monday, the Smithsonian's board of regents declared that 'all personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the secretary, with oversight by the board' – turning away Trump's claim of authority over the institution's staffing. The standoff centers on Kim Sajet, whom Trump announced he had fired on 30 May, calling her 'highly partisan and a strong supporter of DEI' – or diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives – on social media. Sajet has continued reporting to work, creating a direct confrontation between the White House and the US's flagship cultural institution that has a 178-year-old governance structure built against political interference. The board backed secretary Lonnie Bunch, saying he 'has the support of the board of regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian'. The statement also directed Bunch to ensure museum content remains 'unbiased' while maintaining that the Smithsonian 'must be a welcoming place of knowledge and discovery for all Americans'. The White House did not return a request for comment. The Smithsonian, which operates 21 museums and the National Zoo and attracts millions of visitors annually, represents America's largest museum and research complex. In March, Trump signed an executive order targeting 'anti-American ideology' at the museum system, claiming the institution had fallen 'under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology' and instructing Vance to remove 'improper ideology' from its museum system. Trump's attack on Sajet focused, among other reasons, on her Democratic political donations and her rejection of a pro-Trump painting by artist Julian Raven. Sajet reportedly told Raven his artwork was 'too pro-Trump' and 'too political' for the gallery, the artist told the Washingtonian in 2019. And unlike the Kennedy Center, which Trump successfully overhauled by installing himself as chairperson, the Smithsonian operates under a unique governance model with board members representing all three branches of government, including JD Vance, the vice-president, and John Roberts, the chief justice. The clash is all part of Trump's broader assault on cultural institutions. His administration has gutted the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities while proposing a 12% cut to the Smithsonian's budget, including complete elimination of funding for the Anacostia Community Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino. Trump's attempted cultural revolution has already devastated the Kennedy Center, according to the Washington Post, where ticket sales have plummeted about 36% since last year and artists have launched boycotts since his takeover. The president posted on social media there would be 'NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA' at the venue in May – though the father-disguised-as-nanny Mrs Doubtfire is scheduled to go on.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Amid Trump standoff, Smithsonian says only secretary can hire and fire
The Smithsonian's Board of Regents said on Monday night that 'all personnel decisions' are directed by Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, 10 days after President Donald Trump claimed that he had fired the director of the institution's National Portrait Gallery. The board, which issued its statement after an all-day meeting Monday, also said that it supported Bunch's 'authority and management' of the Smithsonian.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Defying Trump's Firing, Smithsonian Says It Controls Personnel Decisions
In a challenge to President Trump, the Smithsonian said on Monday that the president did not have the right to fire Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, despite his recent announcement that she had been terminated. 'All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the secretary, with oversight by the board,' said a statement from the Smithsonian, which oversees that museum and 20 others, as well as libraries, research centers and the National Zoo. 'Lonnie G. Bunch, the secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.' The statement came hours after the Board of Regents, including Vice President JD Vance, discussed the president's announcement at a quarterly meeting. When Mr. Trump said 10 days ago that he had fired Ms. Sajet, he called her 'a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.' The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ms. Sajet was not mentioned in the Smithsonian's statement. But the board said it was asking Mr. Bunch to take steps to ensure the institution's nonpartisan nature. 'The Smithsonian must be a welcoming place of knowledge and discovery for all Americans,' the statement said. '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 statement said the board had directed Mr. Bunch to articulate expectations to museum directors about what is displayed in their institutions and to give them time to make any changes needed 'to ensure unbiased content.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
