Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch to Retire Amid Trump Administration Clash

Lonnie Bunch announced Tuesday he will retire as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution at year's end, concluding a tenure that began in 2019. His departure follows a White House report that labeled Smithsonian leaders, particularly at the National Museum of American History, as radical activists who cannot be trusted.

The report, issued by the Domestic Policy Council on Independence Day, said the museum's leadership does not tell history "in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic." Three weeks later, President Trump ordered signs placed in front of the museum telling visitors some exhibits are inaccurate.

“The report does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum.”

Museum director Anthea Hartig, the first woman to hold the post, pushed back during congressional hearings in July, stating the report "does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum." Historians expressed concern that lawmakers and the White House were pursuing revisionism over accurate history.

The Smithsonian operates outside the executive branch; its directors report to Bunch, who answers to a Board of Regents that includes Vice President JD Vance, Chief Justice John Roberts, and bipartisan lawmakers. Roberts, serving as chancellor, praised Bunch for pursuing "excellence in the telling of our nation's story."

Amid the controversy, the National Museum of American History this week opened a 25th-anniversary display of rarely seen Sept. 11 artifacts, including seat belts from Flight 93 and a purse recovered from the World Trade Center. Hartig said some items are so fragile they will likely never be displayed again.