Head of Smithsonian museums announces he will be stepping down
Lonnie Bunch, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, announced he will step down by the end of the year after sustained pressure from the administration of President Donald Trump over how the museum complex presents U.S. history. The Smithsonian, which manages many of the capital’s major museums, has faced White House criticism and federal reviews aimed at ensuring its exhibits reflect 'American exceptionalism.'
Why It Matters
The resignation follows a campaign by the White House that has included funding threats and formal reviews — tools that could reshape leadership and exhibit narratives at one of the nation’s most prominent federally supported cultural institutions. Changes at the Smithsonian may signal how political oversight could influence public history and national museums.
Key Facts
- Who: Lonnie Bunch, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
- Announcement: Bunch said he would leave the Smithsonian by the end of the year (announcement made in a Tuesday statement)
- Appointment: Bunch was appointed secretary of the Smithsonian in 2019
- Historic first: Bunch was the first African American to serve as head of the Smithsonian
- Previous role: He previously directed the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016
Lonnie Bunch, the Smithsonian Institution’s secretary, said in a statement that he will depart his post by the end of the year, ending a tenure that began with his appointment in 2019. He framed his decision as the start of a new chapter while expressing confidence in the institution’s staff and its future direction. The Smithsonian oversees many of Washington, DC’s major museums and research centers and attracts millions of visitors annually.
Bunch’s exit comes amid escalating pressure from the Trump administration, which has criticized how several Smithsonian museums address racism, colonialism and other aspects of American history. While the Smithsonian is not directly under presidential control, the federal government provides a substantial portion of its budget, and the White House has used funding threats and formal reviews to press the institution to change course.
In recent months the administration has taken a series of actions aimed at reshaping cultural programming. Those actions cited in recent reporting include an executive order early in Trump’s second term in 2025 titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” an Interior Department letter urging changes to leadership and institutional ideology, and a directive in July for warning signs near the National Museum of American History to highlight alleged bias. The White House also said it would review exhibits and social media content to ensure narratives promote American exceptionalism.
The Smithsonian’s collection includes the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Portrait Gallery. Bunch, who led the effort to open the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016, has drawn public support from historians and artists; filmmaker Ken Burns publicly praised Bunch’s record in helping Americans understand their complex history. The resignation underscores tensions over political oversight, cultural programming and the role of federally supported institutions in presenting the nation’s past.
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