Lonnie Bunch to leave post as head of Smithsonian Institution in the US
In Washington, US, Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch III will leave his post at the end of the year. He has led the institution since 2019 and became the first African American to hold the position, The Guardian reports.
Personal reasons and stress
The 73-year-old Bunch explained his decision by personal reasons. In a statement, he called the Smithsonian Institution one of the great passions of his life and expressed confidence in the staff who will continue the institution’s work.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bunch acknowledged that the job had been stressful. According to him, in the role he had to choose which issues to defend the institution on and determine the “red lines,” and which ones not to insist on in order to preserve the institution.
Pressure from the Trump administration
After returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump sought to align the Smithsonian Institution’s content with his administration’s policies. In March 2025, he signed an executive order accusing the institution of falling under the influence of a “divisive, race-centered ideology” and stated his intention to restore its role as a symbol of American inspiration and greatness.
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In May 2025, Trump sought to dismiss National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, calling her too partisan and a supporter of diversity and equity programs that the administration sought to ban. Bunch objected, and the Smithsonian Institution stated that the authority to hire and fire employees belongs to the secretary. However, Sajet resigned in June 2025.
In July, Trump also ordered the National Museum of American History to install plaques accusing him of inaccuracy, but they had not yet appeared at the time of publication.
Appointment of a successor
Bunch’s successor will be selected by the 17-member Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents, chaired by US Chief Justice John Roberts. Its members also include US Vice President J.D. Vance, three Democrats and three Republicans in Congress, as well as nine private citizens. Roberts noted Bunch’s contribution and said the board would work with him on a smooth transfer of authority to his successor.
