Trump’s Unlikely Strategy to Control History: Footnotes
The White House is threatening $190 million in Smithsonian funding.
Donald Trump's administration is employing an obscure funding power to influence how the Smithsonian Institution tells the American story. Late last month, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) included a footnote in two recent apportionments of federal funds to the Smithsonian, conditionally tying nearly $190 million in funding to compliance with Trump's March 2025 executive order.
This executive order accuses the Smithsonian of spreading "divisive narratives," essentially forcing the institution to adopt its preferred version of American history.
The footnote, which applies to funds carried over from the previous year, reads: "To the extent permitted by law, amounts apportioned shall be available for obligation in a manner consistent with Executive Order 14253 (March 27, 2025), 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.'" While the footnote does not specify how the Smithsonian should apply the order's vague prohibition, it is enforceable under the Antideficiency Act, which carries criminal penalties for violation.
The Trump administration has been using various tactics to supplant Congress's spending power, including this footnote. The Smithsonian, which is nearly two-thirds federally funded and receives an annual total appropriation of about $1 billion, has been under pressure from the administration's attacks. The institution has received additional scrutiny from the White House, with footnotes demanding compliance with the executive order and a letter from August insisting that exhibition materials and documents be turned over for content review.
The footnotes seem to have caused significant heartburn for the Smithsonian, but it is unclear whether they have had any concrete impacts on the institution's operations. The Smithsonian declined to comment on the matter, and the White House did not answer questions. However, lawmakers and budget experts express concern over the administration's tactics, with Senator Jeff Merkley condemning the use of footnotes to override the law and budget experts calling the Smithsonian footnotes "strange" and "egregious."
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