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 Justice may think he can smooth things over with press releases and surrogate statements. It won't work. My proposal in Civitas Outlook: The Smithsonian should declare its independence from the Federal Government.
Here is the introduction:
