Smithsonian head quits after clashing with Trump over US history

WorldPolitics
9 Sep 2026 • 2:37 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Smithsonian head quits after clashing with Trump over US history

  • Lonnie Bunch, the first Black secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, has announced he will retire from his role at the end of the year.
  • His decision follows a turbulent period involving conflict with President Donald Trump over how American history is presented across the organization's museums.
  • A White House report earlier labelled Smithsonian officials as radical activists, prompting an executive order requiring warning signs on certain exhibits.
  • The Trump administration also threatened to cut federal agency support and alleged that the institution's diversity practices breached anti-discrimination laws.
  • Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, acting as Smithsonian chancellor, paid tribute to Bunch for pursuing excellence in telling the story of the United States.

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