The Legacy that Smithsonian Head Lonnie Bunch Leaves
Bunch said he is leaving after 38 years and will keep defending the Smithsonian’s independence as the institution faces Trump administration pressure.
- On Tuesday, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III announced he will retire at the end of the year, concluding a seven-year tenure leading the institution.
- His departure follows intense scrutiny from Trump, who accused museum leadership of "extreme political activism" in a July White House report, though Bunch told The Wall Street Journal the decision is unrelated to political pressure.
- Bunch, the first historian and African American to lead the Smithsonian, has spent 38 years with the organization, including serving as founding director of the African American Museum.
- Led by Chief Justice John Roberts, the 17 members of the Board of Regents will appoint a successor as the Smithsonian seeks to maintain its independence amid ongoing criticism.
- As he becomes a private citizen in January, Bunch emphasized that the Smithsonian's strength lies in articulating complex American history, a mission he insists must remain independent.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Lonnie Bunch Retires as Smithsonian Chief After Trump Pressure
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III is stepping down after more than a year of escalating conflict with the Trump White House over accusations that the institution had been captured by progressive ideology. Bunch, 73, announced his retirement effective at the end of 2026, closing out seven years atop the nation's largest museum and research complex. […]
Republican Lawmakers Say 'Good Riddance' as DEI-Focused Smithsonian Head Quits
After Lonnie Bunch announced his retirement as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution this week, GOP lawmakers criticized him for pushing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies while receiving a large government […] The post Republican Lawmakers Say 'Good Riddance' as DEI-Focused Smithsonian Head Quits appeared first on The Western Journal.
Smithsonian chief heads for the exit after months of White House warfare · American Wire News
Amid concerns about potential “significant violations of … antidiscrimination law,” a shakeup at a federal institution is coming with the announced retirement of its secretary. Despite his best efforts, undoing the pervasiveness of the woke mind virus will take more than the world’s richest man’s free speech absolutism. On the government front, President Donald Trump’s mission to purge leftist bias at national museums led to a statement from Smi…
Supreme Court chief justice praises outgoing Smithsonian leader who was under pressure from Trump admin
Chief Justice John Roberts praised outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch after the Trump administration criticized the National Museum of American History for ideological capture.
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