Smithsonian faces deadline to show White House 250th anniversary exhibit plans

The White House set a deadline for the Smithsonian to provide detailed lists of exhibits and related materials tied to the nation's 250th anniversary, citing earlier requests that officials said were incomplete. Undetermined at this time.

The Smithsonian Institution was given a deadline to provide the White House with lists of exhibits, objects, wall text and other materials related to the nation's 250th anniversary. The request appeared in a Dec. 18 letter from the White House budget director and domestic policy director and follows an earlier request made in September. Officials have described the review as an effort to assess how the institution presents American history. Key facts: - A Dec. 18 letter from White House budget director Russell Vought and domestic policy director Vince Haley asked the Smithsonian to produce detailed lists of materials tied to the 250th anniversary. - The White House said documents provided after a September request were insufficient and sought a fuller accounting of displays and text. - As of Tuesday afternoon, the Smithsonian had not issued a public response and the next official steps were undetermined at this time. Summary: The White House review and deadline focus oversight on how Smithsonian exhibits tied to the 250th anniversary are presented, and officials have framed the request as part of broader review efforts. Undetermined at this time.