Here’s what happened.
President Donald Trump’s push to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government is drawing new attention to an unlikely Washington institution: the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
A review of Smithsonian materials shows that the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has incorporated DEI, climate change, LGBTQ outreach and environmental-justice themes into various programs and conservation initiatives over the past several years.
That record is attracting scrutiny as the Trump administration seeks to reshape federal institutions and remove programs it considers politically driven.
The controversy raises a larger question for taxpayers: How far should a federally supported zoo go beyond its traditional mission of protecting wildlife, conducting scientific research and educating the public?
Trump Administration Takes Aim At DEI
Since returning to the White House, Trump has made eliminating federal DEI programs a major administration priority.
The Smithsonian has already felt the effects.
In January 2025, the institution announced that it was eliminating its Office of Diversity while preserving visitor-accessibility efforts that it described as serving an important function.
But years of Smithsonian reports, webpages and programming show how deeply diversity and inclusion initiatives had become incorporated into parts of the institution.
The National Zoo is one example.
Located in Washington, D.C., the zoo welcomes roughly 2 million visitors each year. Its broader conservation organization conducts research and wildlife-protection work around the world.
While pandas, elephants, lions and other animals remain the obvious attractions for families, Smithsonian records reveal another side of the institution’s activities.
National Zoo Embraced Diversity And Inclusion Programs
A Smithsonian diversity report covering fiscal year 2023 described diversity and inclusion as integral to the institution’s operations and strategic planning.
Several pages of the report detailed initiatives involving the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Those activities included diversity-oriented internships, LGBTQ family programming and efforts to encourage inclusive terminology among professionals working in zoos and aquariums.
The Smithsonian has also promoted efforts to increase minority representation in the profession.
A 2021 Smithsonian Magazine article highlighted the National Zoo’s involvement in launching the Association of Minority Zoo and Aquarium Professionals.
The organization was designed to expand networking, mentorship, outreach and professional opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities interested in zoo and aquarium careers.
Craig Saffoe, the National Zoo’s curator of large carnivores, explained that his own experiences helped motivate his involvement.
Saffoe wrote that, as a Black man working in the zoo profession, he had long noticed the relatively small number of Black and brown people in the field.
Supporters see such programs as a way to open professional opportunities to a wider range of Americans.
Critics question whether identity-based initiatives should be a priority for taxpayer-supported cultural and scientific institutions.
LGBTQ Events Became Annual Zoo Programming
The National Zoo has also conducted outreach specifically aimed at LGBTQ families.
According to Smithsonian materials, the zoo has hosted International Family Equality Day annually since 2018.
The free event has featured animal encounters, keeper presentations, games, music and activities for families.
Zoo employees have even created rainbow-themed enrichment activities for animals, including colorful frozen treats.
The event grew in 2024 with participation from several LGBTQ organizations, including the DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, SMYAL, Rainbow Families, Brave Trails and the Smithsonian Pride Alliance.
Programming included a performance from the GenOUT Youth Chorus, a community picnic and music highlighting LGBTQ identity and inclusion.
Outside organizations referred to the gathering as “Gay Day at the Zoo,” while the Smithsonian formally advertised its programming as International Family Equality Day.
The activities illustrate the broader debate now confronting the Smithsonian under Trump: Should federally connected institutions actively participate in cultural and identity-based programming, or should they stick more closely to their traditional missions?
Climate Change Messaging Also Draws Attention
DEI isn’t the only issue likely to receive scrutiny.
Climate change is extensively discussed throughout the National Zoo’s conservation materials.
Hundreds of results on the zoo’s website address climate change in connection with wildlife and environmental subjects, including salamanders, wildfires, coral reefs, seasonal wetlands and changing habitats.
Much of that falls squarely within the scientific mission of a conservation organization.
Some Smithsonian researchers, however, have also connected environmental concerns with broader social issues.
A 2021 article by Smithsonian researchers discussed connections between climate change, natural resources, gender equity, civil liberties and justice.
The authors argued that addressing inequalities involving health and education could contribute to climate action.
That type of approach has become increasingly common among major environmental organizations, where conservation is sometimes discussed alongside social and economic policy.
It has also generated criticism from conservatives who believe scientific institutions should avoid mixing environmental research with ideological or political causes.
Critics Say Zoos Should Focus On Animals
Gabriella Hoffman, director of the Independent Women’s Forum’s Center for Energy and Conservation, told Fox News Digital that visitors primarily go to zoos to learn about animals and conservation.
She argued that DEI, ESG and politically charged climate messaging can create unnecessary division inside institutions that should put science first.
Jason Hayes, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Energy, Climate and Environment, raised similar concerns.
Hayes argued that the primary responsibilities of a taxpayer-supported institution such as the National Zoo should include conservation, species management and habitat protection.
His concern is that political or ideological priorities could begin influencing how those institutions operate.
Supporters of inclusion initiatives would argue that expanding participation in conservation and scientific careers does not conflict with protecting animals.
That disagreement is precisely why the National Zoo could become another flashpoint in Washington’s growing battle over federal DEI policies.
Some DEI Language Remains Online
Although the Smithsonian closed its central diversity office in early 2025, references to diversity and inclusion have remained in some National Zoo materials.
For example, a zoo webpage profiling Destination DC President and CEO Elliott Ferguson, a member of the zoo’s advisory board, discusses his involvement with diversity, equity and inclusion, conversations surrounding racism and efforts to expand opportunities for people of color.
The profile also notes Ferguson’s previous leadership role with Tourism Diversity Matters, an organization focused on workforce diversity in the hospitality industry.
Another Smithsonian official, Ricardo Stanoss, was identified in the institution’s fiscal 2023 diversity report as the principal investigator for a community advisory initiative.
That project conducted listening sessions with Washington-area leaders while exploring a diversity-oriented internship and a proposed master’s degree involving environmental justice and climate change.
Inclusion Listed As A Core Value
The National Zoo’s Great Plains Science Program has also identified “Inclusion” among its core values.
The program has pledged to create opportunities for people from underrepresented groups and encourage a new generation of conservation professionals.
Researchers involved with the project have also emphasized engagement with Native communities.
The Smithsonian’s connections with outside conservation organizations add another layer to the issue.
The National Zoo is a longtime accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or AZA.
AZA has made diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion part of its organizational priorities and expects accredited institutions to maintain plans promoting accessible and welcoming environments.
National Zoo Director Brandie Smith has extensive ties to the organization. Before joining the Smithsonian in 2008, she spent approximately a decade as AZA’s vice president of animal conservation.
Smithsonian Works With Global Organizations
The Smithsonian is also a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an international organization involved in wildlife and environmental protection.
Its current gender policy promotes gender-responsive conservation and participation across demographic groups, including considerations involving race, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Those provisions apply directly to IUCN operations and serve as guidance rather than mandatory rules for member institutions.
The National Zoo additionally works with the Zoological Society of London on efforts involving the recovery of the scimitar-horned oryx.
One ZSL initiative, FAIRER Conservation, describes its approach as using a “decolonial lens” and incorporating justice, equity and inclusion into conservation work.
Such terminology is likely to attract additional attention as the Trump administration continues challenging DEI policies throughout government and federally connected institutions.
National Zoo Responds
Fox News Digital contacted the Smithsonian’s National Zoo about its current use of DEI programs.
According to the outlet, the zoo did not directly answer questions about whether such initiatives remain in operation.
Instead, a spokesperson emphasized the institution’s central mission.
The National Zoo, the spokesperson said, exists to give the public an opportunity to experience wildlife, learn about nature and see conservation work firsthand.
The zoo also emphasized its international work to protect endangered species.
Those goals enjoy broad support.
The political dispute centers instead on how much farther the Smithsonian should go.
Should Taxpayer-Supported Zoos Stay Out Of Politics?
For many Americans, a trip to the zoo is straightforward.
Parents and grandparents take children to see elephants, lions, pandas, reptiles and other animals. Visitors learn about endangered species and the importance of preserving wildlife and natural habitats.
Few families arrive expecting a political debate.
That is why the controversy surrounding the National Zoo could resonate far beyond Washington.
Supporters of the zoo’s inclusion programs argue that conservation institutions should welcome Americans from every background and make scientific careers available to people who historically may have been underrepresented.
Conservative critics aren’t necessarily disputing that everyone should be welcome.
Their objection centers on whether government-supported institutions need formal DEI programs, identity-focused events and social-justice terminology to accomplish that goal.
The distinction could become increasingly important as Trump continues his effort to remove DEI initiatives from the federal government.
Trump’s Smithsonian Battle Could Be Far From Over
The National Zoo remains one of Washington’s most recognizable family attractions and an important center for wildlife conservation.
But its previous DEI initiatives and continuing relationships with organizations that emphasize diversity, equity and inclusion place it squarely inside a much larger national debate.
Trump has made clear that he wants federal institutions focused on their fundamental missions rather than ideological agendas.
For the Smithsonian National Zoo, that could mean renewed scrutiny over where conservation science ends and political advocacy begins.
Whether additional changes ultimately reach the zoo remains to be seen.
But as the Trump administration continues examining the direction of the Smithsonian, programs involving DEI, climate policy and identity-based outreach are likely to remain under the microscope.
For millions of Americans who view the National Zoo as a place for animals, education and family outings, the debate ultimately comes down to a simple question:
Should America’s National Zoo focus on pandas and conservation — or politics?