Smithsonian Museum faces backlash over activism shift
Laura Ingraham highlights what she describes as left-leaning influences shaping controversial Smithsonian exhibits. Historian Dr. Jody Edward Ginn appears on “The Ingraham Angle” to examine claims of ideological bias and the alleged sidelining of conservative viewpoints inside national museums.
The Smithsonian Institution’s top official revealed Tuesday that he plans to retire, a move that comes as tensions grow between the museum network and the Trump administration over its leadership, priorities and portrayal of American history.
Lonnie Bunch III, who became secretary of the Smithsonian in 2019 after serving as the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, said he intends to step down before the end of the year.
“It is with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude that I announce my retirement from the Smithsonian,” Bunch said in a press release. “I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been. There is no place like the Smithsonian — it has been one of the great loves of my life, and I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished together.”
Lonnie Bunch III delivers remarks at the Smithsonian Latino Museum Reception on June 16, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Smithsonian Latino Museum)
“I leave with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward,” he added.
His announcement lands at a politically charged moment for the Smithsonian, as the Trump administration steps up criticism of the institution and argues that progressive ideology has influenced how the nation’s museums present key chapters of U.S. history.
In a letter recently released by the Department of the Interior, administration officials said the Smithsonian’s “institutional culture may have resulted in significant violations of Federal antidiscrimination law.” The letter cited allegations that the museum system fostered a hostile workplace and distributed opportunities, funding and other benefits on the basis of race, ethnicity and additional protected traits.
The Smithsonian, the nation’s largest museum and research complex, is at the center of a White House campaign to overhaul its presentation of American history. (J. David Ake/Getty Images)
The letter did not include specific evidence of illegal activity, and the Department of the Interior did not provide further information when previously reached for comment by News Outlet.
The administration warned that federal agencies could withdraw certain forms of support if its concerns are not addressed, saying an “appropriate response” from the Smithsonian “must likewise address executive leadership and institutional ideology.”
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is being called out for being ‘ideologically captured’ and presenting woke revisionist history on the weekend of America’s 250th birthday. (Kevin Carter/Getty)
The pressure follows a 2025 executive order directing officials to seek the removal of what the administration called “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian.
Bunch became the Smithsonian’s 14th secretary in June 2019, making him the first African American and first historian to hold the position. He previously led the creation of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, serving as its founding director from 2005 through its opening in 2016.
Bunch first joined the Smithsonian in 1978 and has spent nearly four decades at the institution, apart from a period when he served as president of the Chicago Historical Society.
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chief Justice John Roberts, who serves as chancellor of the Smithsonian, praised Bunch’s tenure and said the institution would work with him to ensure a smooth transition.
“From his days as a young curator at the National Air and Space and American History Museums through his tenure as the founding director of the African American History and Culture Museum and culminating in his distinguished service for the past seven years in the Smithsonian’s top job, Secretary Bunch has pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story,” Roberts said.
Smithsonian Board of Regents Chair Franklin D. Raines said the board will announce an acting secretary and begin a national search for Bunch’s successor.
