A new opinion piece in Reason argues that the Smithsonian Institution should be formally separated from the federal government. The author points to recent clashes, including President Trump's push to place a large George Washington statue and warning signs at the National Museum of American History, as well as the Smithsonian's decision to build a Latino American museum without explicit congressional approval. The piece contends that the institution's long-standing independence has eroded as it has become a target in cultural and political fights.
The proposal calls on Congress to involuntarily spin off the Smithsonian to a private nonprofit, with federal appropriations winding down over time and current government officials leaving the board. The author suggests that retired Justice Stephen Breyer could serve as interim chancellor, and that the nineteen museums and the National Zoo might operate better as separate entities with their own donor bases. The piece frames this as the only real path to independence, arguing that the Smithsonian cannot keep relying on government funding while resisting government control.
Because this is a single opinion piece, there is no independent reporting or opposing view to compare. The argument is explicitly prescriptive rather than a news account, and it does not address practical legal or logistical obstacles to privatization beyond asserting that separation is necessary. The author concludes that the Smithsonian's only way to stop being dependent on the federal government is to stop being dependent on it.