The Smithsonian's secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch III, sent a letter to staff Wednesday detailing how the cultural institution is responding to recent White House demands, as it comes under increasing pressure to weed out what the Trump administration calls "divisive narratives" in its exhibits.
In the letter to staff, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, Bunch said that he has assembled a small internal team to respond to the White House's request for information on the organization and its mission.
Bunch said that during a lunch meeting with President Donald Trump last week, he had sensed Trump's "admiration and regard for the Smithsonian." But he also told staff that he had expressed to the president, "Our independence is paramount."
"The Smithsonian is rooted in rigorous scholarship and expertise, nonpartisanship, and accuracy," Bunch said in the letter, which was first reported by the New York Times on Wednesday afternoon.
In a recent post on social media, Trump called the Smithsonian "OUT OF CONTROL" and too focused on "how bad Slavery was," which was followed by a list released by the White House of programming the administration opposes.
The White House sent a letter to Bunch last month requesting that the Smithsonian submit information on programming at eight of the institution's museums for review to make sure it aligned with the president's directive to "celebrate American exceptionalism."
In the staff memo, Bunch shared details of his formal response to the White House, indicating that the Smithsonian intends to undertake its own review, rather than be directed by the Trump administration.
"Our own review of content to ensure our programming is factual and nonpartisan is ongoing, and it is consistent with our authority over our programming and content," Bunch wrote in the response provided to the White House.
"As a public-service institution, we are committed to transparency," he wrote. "... In response to [the White House's] request for information, I am assembling a small internal team to advise me and the senior team about what we can provide and on what timeline."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday on Bunch's letter to staff or the Smithsonian's response to the administration's information requests.
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has taken direct aim at the institution. In March, he issued an executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," declaring that the Smithsonian had "come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology."
Bunch has long been known for his diplomatic approach in Washington, rallying bipartisan support for the National Museum of African American History and Culture during his tenure.