Smithsonian Secretary, Target of Trump's Cultural War, Announces Resignation

Lonnie Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, which operates national museums and art galleries in Washington, D.C., announced his resignation on the 8th (local time).

In a press release announcing his resignation, Bunch said, "It has been a true honor to spend nearly half of my life working at the Smithsonian and being part of the Smithsonian family."

The institution stated that Bunch will remain in office until the end of this year, during which it plans to announce an acting secretary and begin a public recruitment process for his successor.

Having joined the institution in 1978 and worked as a curator at the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History, Bunch served for 14 years as the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture before becoming the first African American secretary to lead the institution in June 2019.

Bunch found himself at the epicenter of the culture and history wars spearheaded by Donald Trump, particularly during the second Trump administration.

Beginning with an executive order signed by President Trump in March of last year—just over two months into his second term—instructing the removal of inappropriate, divisive, and anti-American ideologies from Smithsonian museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo, Trump has continuously targeted the Smithsonian Institution and its affiliated organizations.

The administration has sharply criticized the institution and its museums and galleries for leaning into "woke" ideologies that oppose racial and sexual minority discrimination and pursuing "DEI" (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), a progressive slogan.

In a report titled "Saving American History" released on July 4, the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, the White House Domestic Policy Council criticized the National Museum of American History for promoting a distorted view of history and inappropriate ideologies, asserting that "museums must teach a national history of America that we can cherish and that is worthy of passing on to future generations."

Following the release of the report, President Trump ordered the installation of temporary signs around the museum pointing out inaccuracies in the exhibits and providing accurate information on American history.

The Associated Press noted, "Bunch's resignation comes two months after a White House report labeled Smithsonian leadership—particularly officials at the National Museum of American History—as untrustworthy radical activists, suggesting that President Trump may be preparing to install his own team" for the institution's future leadership.

The Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex, operates 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo, primarily centered in Washington, D.C.

The institution operates on a combination of federal government appropriations and private donations.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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