Lonnie Bunch to Retire as Secretary of the Smithsonian

Historian Lonnie Bunch will step down as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution at the end of the year. Bunch announced his decision on Tuesday amidst increasing criticism from the Trump administration toward the organization.

Bunch expressed mixed feelings and gratitude in a statement, saying, “I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been.” He has served the Smithsonian for 38 years and leaves his position “with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward.”

In an interview with The New York Times, Bunch clarified that his forthcoming retirement is not related to tensions with the administration, stating, “now’s the time.” He admitted the role has been stressful and mentioned wanting mornings without checking his phone.

Notably, Bunch co-founded the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016. He was the museum’s executive director until 2019 when he became the first African American secretary in the Smithsonian’s 173-year history.

He has pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story,

said Chief Justice John Roberts, chancellor of the Smithsonian and member of its Board of Regents. Roberts praised Bunch’s wisdom, vision, and leadership and looks forward to a smooth transition to his successor.

Since President Trump’s second term began in 2025, criticism of the Smithsonian has increased. An internal review was launched for some of the institution’s major museums, and in March 2025, an executive order called for changes at the Smithsonian.

The administration’s review highlighted eight museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which was criticized in Trump’s order for “divisive, race-centered ideology.” Other museums under review included the Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, and the National Portrait Gallery. The review focused on exhibits, future plans, collections, and processes used by curators.

In July, Trump ordered corrections to “inaccurate” information at the National Museum of American History. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum accused Smithsonian leadership of allowing “radical institutional ideology” to infiltrate the American history museum, which, according to Burgum, erodes American identity and heritage.

The Smithsonian Institution encompasses 21 museums, 20 libraries, numerous research centers, and the National Zoo in Washington. Bunch’s career began at the Smithsonian in 1978 with the National Air and Space Museum. He held various roles at the National Museum of American History until 2000, left and returned in 2005 to lead the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

In a 2019 interview with CBS “Sunday Morning,” Bunch emphasized the Smithsonian’s role as a unifying force, stating, “Culture is so important. Culture is something that sometimes is seen as dividing people, but in my mind, culture holds us together — the common cultures we have, the opportunity to find common ground.”