JUST IN: Woke Smithsonian Chief Steps Down Amid Pressure from Trump Administration

NOW: Woke Smithsonian leader Lonnie Bunch is STEPPING DOWN after major pressure from President Trump and the exposure of anti-American DEI material in the center

GOOD RIDDANCE!

The White House found VERY troubling materials at the Smithsonian, including a little girl's… pic.twitter.com/pkKlMd2Y7G

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 8, 2026

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NOW: Woke Smithsonian leader Lonnie Bunch is STEPPING DOWN after major pressure from President Trump and the exposure of anti-American DEI material in the center

GOOD RIDDANCE!

The White House found VERY troubling materials at the Smithsonian, including a little girl’s diary wishing she had a p*nis and was a boy, drag queens and half-nude women, a rubber crotch harness and more

The Smithsonian should be PURE AMERICA, not leftist propaganda

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The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Lonnie G. Bunch III, is stepping down amid continued criticism from the White House about the direction of the Smithsonian museums, writes @virginiagmck.

A July White House report charged that the National Museum of American History… pic.twitter.com/wLkwKskozo

— Daily Signal (@DailySignal) September 8, 2026

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The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Lonnie G. Bunch III, is stepping down amid continued criticism from the White House about the direction of the Smithsonian museums, writes @virginiagmck.

A July White House report charged that the National Museum of American History had become “subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love.”

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“It is with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude that I announce my retirement from the Smithsonian,” Bunch said in a press release. “I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been. There is no place like the Smithsonian — it has been one of the great loves of my life, and I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished together.”

“I leave with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward,” he added.

Bunch’s departure comes as the Trump administration has intensified scrutiny of the Smithsonian, accusing its leadership of allowing progressive ideology to shape its presentation of American history and raising concerns about potential violations of federal nondiscrimination law.

In a letter recently made public by the Department of the Interior, the administration said the Smithsonian leadership’s “institutional culture may have resulted in significant violations of Federal antidiscrimination law,” including allegedly creating a hostile work environment and allocating opportunities, funding and other benefits based on race, ethnicity and other protected characteristics.

The letter did not include specific evidence of illegal activity, and the Department of the Interior did not provide further information when previously reached for comment by Fox News Digital.

The administration warned that federal agencies could withdraw certain forms of support if its concerns are not addressed, saying an “appropriate response” from the Smithsonian “must likewise address executive leadership and institutional ideology.”

The pressure follows a 2025 executive order directing officials to seek the removal of what the administration called “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian.

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Lonnie Bunch openly admitted that he worked to put DEI at the "center" of institutions like the Smithsonian.

And he did it while raking in $4.4 million between 2020-2024.

It's time for the Smithsonian to return to what it once was: A cherished organization promoting ideals that… https://t.co/Gz941gHJWT

— Brandon Gill (@realBrandonGill) September 8, 2026

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Bunch said in an interview with The Washington Post on Monday that the administration’s pressure played no role in his decision and that he was still ready to do battle to protect the Smithsonian’s autonomy.

“We’re at a time when people are challenging that independence,” he said, “but I feel very strongly that it is as independent as we were before, and that I will continue to fight — for as long as I’m in this chair — for the independence of the Smithsonian.”

Bunch said he had been contemplating retirement for about a year and settled on leaving after spending several weeks this summer with his children and grandchildren. He originally planned to serve five years as secretary but eventually decided to stay into the nation’s 250th anniversary year and through the approaching 10th anniversary of the African American history museum.

“For, I don’t know, 45 years, work has taken precedence over family, and I just said at 73, enough’s enough,” Bunch said. “There’s never a good time, but I think the key is I want to be able to have as many years as I can with the family and the grandkids.”

Bunch informed the executive committee of the Board of Regents about his decision last week. He declined to say whether anyone encouraged him to stay or leave but said he wanted to remain long enough to ensure “a peaceful transfer of power” and avoid leaving the Smithsonian “in the lurch.”

His exit will conclude nearly 38 years of service at the Smithsonian. Bunch first joined the institution in 1978 and worked at the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History and in various other posts throughout the institution. He also served as a curator at the California African American Museum, and spent four years in the early aughts as president of the Chicago Historical Society. In 2005 he returned to the institution to build the African American history museum. When he took over the project, it had no building, no collection, no funding and a staff of one. The museum opened with a star-studded celebration on the National Mall in 2016 and has since drawn more than 13 million visitors.

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Long time leader of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch announced he will retire at the end of the year after months of criticism from the Trump administration over the museums' portrayal of American history.

The administration accused Smithsonian leadership of promoting divisive,… pic.twitter.com/dJYXeBRCF4

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 8, 2026

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