Lonnie Bunch, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, announced Tuesday that he will step down from the role by the end of the year. His departure follows pressure from the administration of United States President Donald Trump over how the institution presents US history.
Bunch, who became the Smithsonian’s first African American secretary in 2019, said he was leaving with confidence in the people who would continue the institution’s work and described his next chapter as one focused on protecting its integrity and presenting the country’s complex history.
Why the Smithsonian came under pressure
The Smithsonian oversees a major network of museums, educational institutions and research centres, including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Portrait Gallery.
Conservatives have objected to the institution’s treatment of racism, colonialism and other parts of US history. The Trump administration has accused federally supported cultural institutions of promoting left-wing ideology and has called for narratives that celebrate American exceptionalism.
Funding and political scrutiny
Although the Smithsonian does not fall under the president’s direct authority, a large share of its budget comes from the federal government. The administration has threatened that funding over what it described as an “anti-American ideology”.
In July, Trump ordered the Interior Department to erect warning signs near the National Museum of American History’s entrance about alleged bias. In August, the department wrote to the Smithsonian that concerns about executive leadership and institutional ideology required changes at the top of the organisation.
The Smithsonian also faced controversy after references to Trump’s two first-term impeachments were removed from exhibits and later restored following public criticism. Historians and artists, including filmmaker Ken Burns, voiced support for Bunch after his announcement.
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