*Lonnie G. Bunch III, the Smithsonian Institution’s first Black secretary and the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, is retiring by the end of 2026 as President Donald Trump‘s administration intensifies its campaign to influence how the institution presents American history.
Bunch, 73, has led the Smithsonian since 2019. His departure after more than seven years in the top job arrives at an extraordinary moment: The White House has challenged Smithsonian exhibits and leadership over depictions of race, slavery and other difficult chapters of the nation’s past.
But Bunch says that fight is not why he’s leaving.
Why Bunch Says He’s Leaving
Bunch told The Washington Post that administration pressure “played no role” in his retirement decision. He said he had been considering leaving for about a year and reached his decision after spending several weeks this summer with his children and grandchildren.
“For, I don’t know, 45 years, work has taken precedence over family,” Bunch told the newspaper, explaining that at 73 he wants more years with his family.
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That distinction matters. Bunch is leaving amid a political battle with the Trump administration, but his own account contradicts any suggestion that Trump forced him out.
The Wall Street Journal first reported his retirement Tuesday, describing his departure against the backdrop of escalating tensions with Trump.
Trump’s Smithsonian Fight Isn’t Over
The conflict surrounding Bunch’s final months is substantial. A July 2026 Trump executive order accused Smithsonian leadership of failing to present American history as a shared national inheritance and directed federal officials to use available authority to encourage changes at the institution. The White House order followed an earlier Trump directive attacking what the administration called “divisive, race-centered ideology.”
Bunch, meanwhile, has defended the Smithsonian’s independence.
“We’re at a time when people are challenging that independence,” he told The Post, adding that he would continue fighting for it as long as he remained secretary.
From Black History Museum to Smithsonian Leader
Bunch’s departure carries particular weight because of his role in bringing Black history into one of America’s most prominent cultural institutions.
He was the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016, before becoming the first African American and first historian to lead the Smithsonian.
EURweb previously covered Bunch when he received the NAACP President’s Award for his work establishing the museum and creating a national institution honoring African American contributions. EURweb’s earlier coverage of Bunch
What Happens After Bunch?
Bunch’s retirement therefore closes one chapter while leaving a much larger question unresolved: who will lead the Smithsonian through its continuing confrontation with the Trump administration?
The Smithsonian’s Board of Regents—not the president—selects the secretary. Bunch told The Post he intends to remain long enough to help ensure an orderly transition.
He may be ready to spend more time with his grandchildren, but the argument surrounding the institution he leaves behind—over independence, scholarship and who gets to tell America’s complicated history—is nowhere near retirement.
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