The Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education and research complex, has drawn increasing political scrutiny over its reliance on more than $1 billion a year in federal funding, with President Donald Trump's proposed 2026 budget seeking to cut that support below the billion-dollar mark. The move forms part of a wider administration push to challenge the institution's leadership over concerns about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and what critics describe as ideologically slanted portrayals of American history in its exhibits.

The Smithsonian oversees 21 museums, the National Zoo and nearly 157 million objects and specimens, making its budget one of the largest of any publicly funded cultural body in the United States. Critics cited in the article, including historian and museum professional Dr Jody Edward Ginn, have argued the institution has drifted from an educational mission towards activism, a claim that has fed into the funding debate now playing out in Washington.