Smithsonian Chief Quits as Trump Targets History Exhibits

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch has resigned, the institution said on Tuesday, ending seven years at the helm of the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. His departure comes as the Smithsonian faced increasing criticism from the Trump administration over how it presents American history.

Bunch confirmed his resignation in a statement to ABC News. He said: “I have fought for as long as I can. I love this country and I love the Smithsonian and I will always work to defend our more perfect Union.”

In a separate message announcing his retirement, Bunch said he was leaving with “pride and sadness, gratitude and joy” and with confidence in those who would carry the Smithsonian forward. He said the institution had been “one of the great loves” of his life and described the Smithsonian as a place that provides public access to science, history, art and culture.

Resignation After Seven Years

Bunch, who joined the Smithsonian about 38 years ago, was named secretary in June 2019, becoming both the first African American and the first historian to hold the post. In his parting remarks, he did not directly address the ongoing criticism from the White House.

He instead said it was time for “my next chapter”, adding that he wanted to continue protecting the Smithsonian’s “integrity” while championing a history that reflects the “complex story” of the nation. In a July ABC News interview marking America’s 250th birthday, Bunch said he was open to criticism, while arguing that the public needs to understand the totality and complexity of the past to understand national greatness.

White House Criticism And Funding Threats

The resignation follows mounting attacks on the Smithsonian from the Trump administration. The White House has accused Smithsonian leadership of presenting a “radical view” of American history and has signalled it could withhold federal funds and other support.

In July, the White House published a 162-page report from the Domestic Policy Council describing the Smithsonian as engaging in “extreme political activism” and presenting what it called a “radical view of American history”. The report focused on the National Museum of American History (NMAH), alleging its leadership adopted an “ideological framework” that treated the American story as a political instrument rather than as shared inheritance.

Congressional Scrutiny Of Museum Independence

The report was released amid a wider review triggered by a March 27, 2025 executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”. The order directed Vice President J.D. Vance, in consultation with domestic policy advisers, to remove “improper ideology” from Smithsonian institutions, arguing that federal cultural bodies should not include materials that cast the country in a “negative light”.

As pressure increased, Anthea Hartig, director of the NMAH, became the first Smithsonian official to testify before Congress in July. In her remarks, Hartig said the museum “does not take sides” in political debates and that its work is governed by Smithsonian standards of scholarship, accuracy, independence and nonpartisanship. She said the museum preserves and documents evidence of American life across its range so the public can draw conclusions.

Bunch has previously described the Smithsonian’s independence as central to its mission. He met President Donald Trump at the White House last August and, in a September 2025 letter to Smithsonian employees, wrote that the institution’s independence was “paramount”. He said the Smithsonian would continue to tell the “American story” and remain a place that welcomes all Americans and the world.

Search For Acting Secretary Begins

The Smithsonian is overseen by a 17-member Board of Regents. Franklin D. Raines, chair of the board, said board members would name an acting secretary and begin a national search for Bunch’s successor.

Raines said in a statement on Tuesday that he had worked with Bunch for more than two decades, including when he founded the National Museum of African American History and Culture and later when he became the Smithsonian’s 14th secretary. He said Bunch’s leadership across the Smithsonian’s 21 museums and the National Zoo had illuminated the nation’s past, supported new knowledge and powered creativity and innovation.

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9 September 2026