Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III will step down at the end of the year after 38 years with the institution, ending a tenure that included the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and unfolded amid growing political scrutiny from the Trump administration.
Bunch, who became the Smithsonian’s 14th secretary in 2019, announced his retirement Tuesday. He said the decision came with “very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude” and described the Smithsonian as one of the great loves of his life.
His departure comes as the Smithsonian faces an unusually direct challenge from the White House over how its museums present American history.
The Trump administration has criticized what it describes as political bias and a “radical ideology” within the Smithsonian. In March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to address what the administration called “improper, divisive, or anti-American” ideology in Smithsonian programs and exhibits.
Bunch Says Smithsonian Has Not Changed Under Pressure
Bunch has rejected the characterization that the Smithsonian’s work is driven by partisan politics.
In an interview with PBS NewsHour that aired Tuesday, Bunch said the institution is not driven by “left-wing crazy people” but by employees who care about the country.
“We haven’t changed anything for political pressure,” Bunch said.
The comments came after months of criticism from Trump and other administration officials over the Smithsonian’s treatment of race, slavery and other parts of American history.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the institution’s museums. In an August 2025 social media post, he accused the Smithsonian of focusing excessively on slavery and negative portrayals of the United States.
The White House Domestic Policy Council also issued a report over the July Fourth weekend criticizing Smithsonian leadership and questioning whether the institution could be trusted to present American history in what the administration described as an “inspiring” and “unifying” manner.
The Interior Department escalated the dispute last week by threatening to withdraw federal support from Smithsonian facilities, alleging that some exhibits and programs promote a “radical ideology” that undermines a shared American identity.
Bunch’s Decision Comes After Years at Smithsonian
Bunch began working for the Smithsonian in the late 1970s and spent much of his career as a historian, curator and museum administrator.
He served as founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture before becoming Smithsonian secretary in 2019. The museum opened in 2016 after years of planning and construction and became one of the institution’s most prominent additions.
Bunch was the first Black person and the first historian to serve as secretary of the Smithsonian.
During his seven years as secretary, the institution added the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino to its network of museums. Smithsonian Magazine also credited Bunch with overseeing a major expansion of the institution’s digital operations.
Bunch said he believes his next chapter should allow him to continue advocating for the Smithsonian’s independence and the importance of understanding American history.
Regents Prepare for Leadership Search
The Smithsonian Board of Regents is responsible for selecting the institution’s next secretary.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who serves as chancellor of the Smithsonian, praised Bunch’s leadership and said the board would work with him to ensure a smooth transition.
“From his days as a young curator at the National Air and Space and American History Museums through his tenure as the founding director of the African American History and Culture Museum and culminating in his distinguished service for the past seven years in the Smithsonian’s top job,” Roberts said, Bunch pursued excellence in telling the nation’s story.
The Board of Regents is expected to form a search committee to identify Bunch’s successor. Bunch will remain in his position through the end of the year to help with the transition.
The Smithsonian’s governance structure is unusual because its Board of Regents includes members of Congress, public members and the chief justice of the United States. Vice President Vance also serves as a regent.
The leadership transition therefore comes as the institution navigates both a change at the top and an ongoing dispute with the administration over its exhibits, programming and interpretation of American history.
A Pivotal Transition for the Smithsonian
Bunch’s retirement will leave the Smithsonian searching for a new leader as the institution faces questions about its relationship with the federal government and the extent to which political officials should influence the presentation of history.
Bunch has argued that understanding the country’s difficult chapters is essential to understanding the United States itself.
“America’s greatest strength, it’s not running away from its history, but it’s understanding how that history shaped us and continues to shape us,” he said in an NBC interview earlier this year.
His successor will inherit an institution with a vast collection of museums, research centers, libraries and the National Zoo — as well as an increasingly prominent debate over how the Smithsonian tells the story of America.
