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NATIONAL NEWS

Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian leadership following clash with Trump administration

Sep 8, 2026, 9:56 AM | Updated: 3:34 pm

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BY ASSOCIATED PRESS


WASHINGTON (AP) — Lonnie Bunch is stepping down from the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution following a tumultuous year in which President Donald Trump tried to remake the portrayal of U.S. history by way of entities including the museum and research complex.

Bunch said in a news release Tuesday that he was departing the position he had held since 2019 “with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude.” The Smithsonian said he would leave the post at the end of the year.

Bunch’s departure comes two months after a Smithsonian Institution, especially at the National Museum of American History, as radical activists who cannot be trusted, an indication that Trump could be preparing to install his own team.

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Lonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian leadership following clash with Trump administration