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New In Civitas: The Smithsonian Should Be Privatized

The Smithsonian Should Declare Its Independence from the Federal Government

Josh Blackman | 9.23.2026 12:12 PM

The Smithsonian Institution has been in the news. President Trump wants to place a "colossus" George Washington statute outside the National Museum of American History, as well as signs warning that the content inside the museum is biased. On the flip side, the Secretary of the Smithsonian is stepping down, and the institution bypassed Congress to build a new Latino American museum. Relatedly, the Smithsonian spent years and untold amounts of money to test the DNA in strands of Thomas Jefferson's hair to determine whether he in fact had children with Sally Hemmings.

The Smithsonian is not going to make it through the current fight. The Chief........

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