Smithsonian Chief Lonnie Bunch, 73, Retires as Trump Threatens Funding and Artifact Access
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 9
Smithsonian Chief Lonnie Bunch, 73, Retires as Trump Threatens Funding and Artifact Access
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 9
Summary
Lonnie Bunch said he will retire from the Smithsonian after more than a year of White House pressure over how the institution presents U.S. history.
July criticism from the Trump administration targeted the National Museum of American History, accusing the Smithsonian of “radical, activist ideology” and unfairly portraying the museum’s work.
Last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and policy adviser Vince Haley warned Congress the Smithsonian could lose federal grants and access to artifacts if its current leadership remained.
John Roberts, the Smithsonian’s chancellor, praised Bunch on Tuesday for pursuing excellence in telling the nation’s story, even as the administration alleged possible antidiscrimination-law violations and a hostile work environment.
Bunch’s exit deepens a broader fight over control of the nation’s museums, with the Trump administration pressing for a more “patriotic” historical narrative.