Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch to Retire at Year-End

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch plans to announce his retirement from the institution at the end of this year, concluding a tenure that faced significant pressure from the White House regarding the portrayal of the nation's history. A source confirmed Bunch's departure to The Atlantic. Bunch's exit will create a leadership gap at the Smithsonian, which receives partial federal funding, amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to influence its operations. Bunch, recognized for his diplomatic approach, managed to navigate the White House's attempts to exert control during a challenging 18-month period characterized by executive orders and memos from the Trump administration that criticized the museums and threatened funding cuts. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order mandating that signage be added to the exterior of the National Museum of American History to address what the administration describes as an inaccurate and partisan narrative of history. Prior to his role as secretary, Bunch was known as the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This story is developing and will be updated.