Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III announced Tuesday that he will step down by the end of the year, concluding a 38-year tenure. His departure coincides with intense political pressure and federal funding threats from the Trump administration over museum exhibits and historical narratives.
Lonnie Bunch Steps Down After Decades at the Smithsonian
Lonnie G. Bunch III will step down from his position as head of the sprawling Smithsonian Institution by the end of the year, he announced on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Bunch, 73, became secretary in 2019 as the first Black person and first historian to lead the organization. His exit concludes nearly 38 years of service across the institution, which encompasses 21 museums, 20 libraries, and the National Zoo.
Bunch told reporters that his upcoming retirement wasn’t due to the fights with the administration, stating simply that now’s the time.
He added in an interview that the role had grown demanding. I have to be honest, it has been stressful,
Bunch said, noting that at a certain point he wanted to wake up without looking at a cellphone.
Political Friction and Federal Funding Threats From the Trump Administration
Bunch’s departure arrives during one of the most politically charged periods in the Smithsonian’s 180-year history. Since President Donald Trump’s second term began in 2025, the administration has stepped up criticism of the institution, arguing that its museums promote improper ideology
and a divisive, race-centered view of American history.
The Interior Department warned the Smithsonian that it could pull federal funding over potential violations of federal antidiscrimination laws. Beyond financial support, administration pressure has targeted personnel and artifact loans. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum sent a letter accusing leadership of allowing a radical institutional ideology to permeate
the American history museum.
Despite the scrutiny, Bunch maintained in an interview with The Washington Post that administration pressure played no role in his exit. He stated that he remained ready to defend the organization’s autonomy. We’re at a time when people are challenging that independence,
he said, but I feel very strongly that it is as independent as we were before, and that I will continue to fight — for as long as I’m in this chair — for the independence of the Smithsonian.
The Fight Over Historical Narratives and Museum Exhibits
The administration’s review focused on eight museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, and the National Portrait Gallery. In July, President Trump ordered the National Park Service to install temporary signage near the American History Museum warning of inaccurate information.
While Bunch defended the Smithsonian’s mandate to tell an accurate and complex history, legal observers noted that his exit leaves the institution vulnerable to shifting political control.
The Board of Regents and the Selection of a Successor
The power to choose the next Smithsonian secretary belongs to the Board of Regents, a 17-member governing body composed of high-level government officials, members of Congress, and citizen regents. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts serves as chancellor of the Smithsonian and heads the regents, a group that also includes Vice President JD Vance.
Chief Justice Roberts praised Bunch in a public statement, noting that the secretary has pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story. The regents plan to work with Bunch in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.
New board members must be appointed via joint congressional resolutions signed into law by the president.
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