New information surfaced around President Donald Trump's "intense pressure" to interfere with the Smithsonian, The New York Times reported Monday.
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, authors of “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump," reported on "the backstage battle" and inner workings of the conflict between the White House and the cultural institution.
The reporting from Haberman and Swan about the "behind-the-scenes battle for control of the institution" comes as the Trump administration released a new report this weekend accusing the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History of "extreme political activism."
Trump had been critical of Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, and how the institution vetted potential exhibits. He called her "highly partisan" and a "strong supporter of DEI."
"It soon became clear that Mr. Trump was unhappy about a photograph of himself in the Portrait Gallery," The Times reported. "It was awful, he would say to others. He objected strongly to the text on the wall noting his two impeachments."
In June of 2025, the board, which is presided by the chief justice of the United States who serves as chancellor, "hastily gathered for an emergency videoconference meeting." Vice President JD Vance said "the Smithsonian was politicizing the nation’s history."
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) pushed back on Vance's claims.
"You’re coming here threatening to cut off funding to the Smithsonian if we don’t paint the picture you want. That’s politicizing it. Mr. Vance disagreed," according to The Times.
Vance had walked away from the table and his policy director, Ben Moss, took his seat and commented.
“This image is also a problem," Moss said, pointing to a digital image of the painting "Trans Forming Liberty" by Amy Sherald, a renowned Black artist who painted a portrait of former First lady Michelle Obama. Sherald was set to feature her work at the institution.
“This is not what Americans want to see," Moss said.
"A stunned silence descended," The Times reported. "Chief Justice Roberts steered the meeting to passage of the resolution affirming the board’s authority over personnel, defusing the crisis over Ms. Sajet for the moment. But four days later, Mr. Trump got what he wanted anyway."
Sajet announced she would resign and told staff this was "the best way to serve the institution."
"On July 23, Ms. Sherald abruptly canceled her exhibition; she said the Smithsonian had privately tried to open the painting up to public debate over trans rights," The Times reported.
