Inside the behemoth Smithsonian museum network drawing fire from the Trump administration

The Smithsonian Institution, whose museums in Washington, D.C. have come under fire from conservatives and President Donald Trump over what they describe as increasingly left-wing messaging, is the world's largest museum complex, comprising a sprawling network that spans the country and influences millions of people each year.Founded in 1846 with funds from the will of British scientist James Smithson, who never visited the United States but left his fortune to establish an institution "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge," the Smithsonian steadily grew from a single museum into the world's largest museum, education and research complex.Today, the Smithsonian owns or leases nearly 700 facilities across eight states, Washington, D.C., and Panama, encompassing roughly 13.6 million square feet of museums, laboratories, archives, warehouses, research stations and support facilities.The organization now houses more than 157 million artifacts and specimens, operates 21 museums along with the National Zoo and 14 education and research centers, maintains 21 libraries, and partners with more than 200 affiliate museums and cultural institutions nationwide.TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORYVisitors see only a fraction of the Smithsonian’s overall collection.