Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch to Step Down Amid White House Pressure

Lonnie Bunch, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, announced on September 8 that he is stepping down at age 73. The Smithsonian operates 21 museums and draws about 15 million visitors annually, with 62 percent of its funding coming from the federal government—over $1 billion per year.

The departure follows a pressure campaign from the White House and Congress. In March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stating the Smithsonian had succumbed to divisive, race-centered ideology. A 162-page White House report released in July criticized the National Museum of American History for ideological capture.

The museum had opened an exhibit in November 2021 titled “The Electric Dr. Franklin,” which stated that Benjamin Franklin’s scientific accomplishments were in part enabled by slavery. The exhibit closed in 2025 but remains available online.

In July, two House committees held hearings where Republican members questioned museum director Anthea Hartig. Trump also signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to place warning signs outside the museum, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum sent a letter to the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents in late August. The Smithsonian is governed by a 17-member board led by the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

The pressure campaign was first reported by Ars Technica.