“I leave with pride and sadness,” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III said Tuesday, Sept. 8
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NEED TO KNOW
- Lonnie Bunch III, the Smithsonian’s first Black secretary, will retire at the end of the year
- Bunch faced political pressure from the Trump administration over how American history is presented in Smithsonian exhibits
- During his tenure, he oversaw pandemic challenges and advanced plans for two new Smithsonian museums
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III will retire at the end of 2026, ending a seven-year tenure leading the institution as it faces mounting political pressure over how American history is presented in its museums, he said on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Bunch, 73, became the Smithsonian’s first Black secretary when he took the position in 2019. Before assuming the top post, he led the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened on the National Mall in 2016.
“There is no place like the Smithsonian – it has been one of the great loves of my life, and I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished together,” Bunch said in his departure announcement. “I leave with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward.”
His retirement comes during an unusually turbulent period for the Smithsonian.
President Donald Trump’s administration has spent much of the past year challenging the institution’s approach to American history, accusing some of its museums of presenting an overly negative or divisive portrayal of the U.S.
Trump, 80, has specifically criticized exhibits addressing slavery, racism and other difficult chapters of American history. His administration has sought changes to Smithsonian exhibitions and educational materials, arguing that the institution should place greater emphasis on American achievement and unity, according to NBC News.
Bunch has pushed back against that characterization while attempting to navigate the political pressure without escalating the conflict.
In an interview with The New York Times published on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Bunch said the decision to retire was not simply a response to the administration’s campaign against the Smithsonian. “It was really just saying, now’s the time,” Bunch said.
However, Bunch acknowledged that the job had become increasingly stressful.
“I have to be honest, it has been stressful,” he told The New York Times. “And at a certain point, I’d like to wake up in the morning and not look at my cellphone.”
Bunch said he’s spent much of his career trying to protect the Smithsonian and its employees while deciding which battles were worth pursuing. “My goal has been to win, not to make me feel good,” he said. “To win – to protect the Smithsonian – there were times I would fight, make clear what the red lines were. And there were other times I let things go.”
The tension intensified after the White House issued a report in July accusing Smithsonian leaders of promoting what it described as divisive and anti-American perspectives.
Bunch rejected that assessment, saying the report did not accurately reflect the work being done at the institution.
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As secretary, Bunch also oversaw the institution during the coronavirus pandemic and helped advance plans for new Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who serves as the Smithsonian’s chancellor, praised Bunch’s tenure.
“Secretary Bunch has pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story,” Roberts said, according to The New York Times. “The Regents, and the Smithsonian, have benefited greatly from his wisdom, vision and leadership.”
Bunch is expected to remain secretary through the end of 2026, when the Smithsonian will begin a new chapter under different leadership.
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