Regarding the White House's December 18, 2025 letter addressed to the Smithsonian Institution, the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) released the following statement:

We support the Smithsonian Institution’s ongoing work to engage with and address questions posed by the White House—while maintaining the proper oversight role of the Board of Regents. 

Doing so is consistent with best practices established by the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), which consistently reinforce the governance role of trustees, as embodied in the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents. We also continue to commend our colleagues across the Smithsonian's network of 21 museums, 14 research and educational facilities, and the National Zoo, for their commitment to these best practices. 

Gathering such detailed information about the world’s largest museum complex—with collections of objects numbering in the many millions, and installations spread across dozens of buildings—will necessarily take time. We have no doubt that the Smithsonian undertakes this work with the same level of commitment it brings to its ongoing research and scholarly activities and to the myriad ways in which it provides exceptional public service to the Institution’s millions of annual visitors.

About AAMD
The Association of Art Museum Directors advances the profession by cultivating leadership capabilities of directors, advocating for the field, and fostering excellence in art museums. An agile, issues-driven organization, AAMD has three desired outcomes: engagement, leadership, and shared learning. Further information about AAMD’s professional practice guidelines and position papers is available at www.aamd.org.