Lonnie Bunch, the outgoing secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, has mounted a forceful defence of the organisation against political interference, arguing that presenting the unvarnished and multifaceted truths of history represents an act of profound patriotism rather than hostility toward the nation.
Speaking on Friday at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, Bunch received a standing ovation from hundreds of audience members and rejected assertions that the institution's staff or exhibitions were unpatriotic. The Smithsonian operates a vast network comprising 21 museums and galleries, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, and multiple research and education centres.
The notion that somehow this museum or any part of the Smithsonian is done by people who don't love America, don't care about America, is unbelievably wrong. And what you see in this building is great love. Great respect.
Bunch, who announced on 8 September that he will retire as Smithsonian secretary at the end of 2026, was speaking at an event celebrating the tenth anniversary of the African American museum, where he served as founding director before assuming the top role at the institution in 2019.
His remarks come amid escalating tension with the Trump administration, which released a report titled Saving America's Story accusing Smithsonian leadership of not being trusted to tell America's story and ordered a sweeping examination of museum content ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary. The White House review reportedly began with eight major museums, including the National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of the American Indian, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
In previous statements, Trump had criticised the Smithsonian sharply:
The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been – Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.
On Friday, Bunch countered that slavery is foundational to understanding the United States and its trajectory. He explained his perspective on why this history must be told:
When people say you talk too much about slavery or that they're embarrassed by slavery, I wish I was as strong as my enslaved ancestor. I wish I could believe in America that they believed. I wish that I could dream a world anew that they dreamed. So for me, it's not saying, 'Oh my god, I'm going to be embarrassed, I'm trying to hurt a country.' I'm trying for people to understand, how did these people believe? How did they lay this foundation that we built upon? Because everything started there.
He elaborated on the deeper purpose behind examining difficult chapters of American history:
So for me, this is really about saying, they believed in something that I don't know why they believed – that if we could capture some of that essence, what could we do?
Bunch, who began his career at the Smithsonian in 1978 and became the institution's first Black secretary when he assumed leadership in 2019, insisted that museum curation must be grounded in independent scholarship rather than political direction.
You cannot understand the greatness of a country without understanding the totality of a country. You cannot understand all without illuminating the dark corners. Curating means let's shine the light. Let's tell the truth.
What is the White House's position on museum content?
The White House has accused cultural institutions of seeking to
rewrite our Nation's historyand ordered that warning signs be placed outside the nearby National Museum of American History. Trump has also challenged the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington after a judge ruled that he could not attach his name to it. The review expanded to public-facing content such as exhibition text, social media, and educational materials, with a stated goal of checking tone and historical framing.
How will the African American museum continue after Bunch's departure?
The departing Bunch sought to reassure his audience that the African American museum would endure and thrive despite external pressures. He reflected on his own visits to the museum during difficult moments:
Every time I walk through this museum, especially on days when I was feeling like everybody was beating me up …
When moderator asked if such days had occurred recently, Bunch quipped:
Just once or twice. But I walk through and I go down and see [the exhibits] and I find myself saying: 'You can persevere.' So for me, this is what makes me believe everything is possible. This is what makes me believe that, no matter what anybody says, you could never erase what's in this building.
He characterised the museum as a
beacon of possibilityand a
place of resistance, declaring:
What I'm proudest of is that, though there'll be pushes and attempts to try to do things, this museum will stand as long as there's an America.
What funding has been announced to support the museum?
The event featured a television producer and board member who pledged $1 million to a newly launched legacy fund established in Bunch's honour. The fund was seeded by a $3.5 million anonymous donation and carries a minimum goal of $10 million.
Acting museum director stated that the fund will
support this museum uniquely and solely, adding:
It will help to ensure that we continue to reflect the values of inclusion, public engagement and independent scholarship without influence.
What is the governance structure of the Smithsonian?
The Smithsonian Institution operates outside the executive branch under a board of regents that includes Supreme Court Chief Justice and Vice-President JD Vance. This structure was designed to insulate the institution from direct political control, though the current administration has sought to influence its direction through other means.
What has been the political response to Bunch's announcement?
Following Bunch's announcement that he was stepping down, Democratic Senator Alex Padilla praised him for speaking
truth to powerin the face of Trump's attacks. By contrast, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative thinktank, called for Bunch's successor to avoid treating the institution as a
culture-war battleground.
What happens next for the Smithsonian?
Bunch is expected to step down by the end of 2026, and the Smithsonian will need to name a successor after his departure at year's end. The Trump administration's Smithsonian pressure campaign has continued into late September 2026, with the fight remaining unresolved and ongoing. The selection of the next secretary will be closely watched as a signal of whether the institution will maintain its commitment to independent scholarship or shift its approach to align with the administration's stated priorities.
