Getty Images
Getty Images
The Battle Over Historical Memory: Trump and the Smithsonian at Odds
The Battle Over Historical Memory: Trump and the Smithsonian at Odds
After a little over a year of disputes between the Trump Administration and the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, has announced that he will be stepping down from his position at the helm of the institution. Bunch is set to officially retire by the end of the year, with his departure marking the end of his nearly 38-year career with the Smithsonian and a new era for the portrayal and understanding of American history within museums.
While retirement is a common conclusion to any career, Bunch’s departure comes at a particularly significant moment for the Smithsonian. His announcement comes at the culmination of an era of winded and rampant pressure from the Trump Administration to portray American history in a manner that the Administration believes should be “inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”
“A profound loss for those who care about America’s history, not its fantasy. He’s [Bunch] been treated shamefully by people who seem more interested in controlling America’s history than understanding it,” filmmaker Ava DuVernay said.
Trump’s scrutiny on the Smithsonian Institution is not a new development, with the Smithsonian having been under examination since 2025.
In March of that year, Trump issued an executive order calling for a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian’s exhibitions and museums to ensure the content was up to par with Trump’s interpretation of American history, specifically citing the National Museum of African American History and Culture among others. A few months later, the administration released its findings in a report titled “Saving America’s Story”, 162 pages of criticism on the Smithsonian’s presentation of American history and how there should be greater emphasis on American achievement and shared national heritage.
Just weeks later, a second executive order from the President followed, titled “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.” Notably, the order was released just two months before Bunch’s announcement and referred to Smithsonian leaders as untrustworthy of telling America’s story, equating erasure with embellishment.
“The leadership of the Smithsonian and the National Museum of American History have altered the museum’s role from accurately and coherently telling America’s story to using museums as a tool to advance personal, radical ideologies,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior and senior Trump administration official Doug Burgum.
Despite backlash from the Administration, expanding the American story has always been central to Bunch’s career, particularly through his work to establish African American history as an embedded and essential part of American history. His career is a testament to the reality that telling America’s story requires confrontation with the people, experiences and histories that have shaped the nation, as they are ultimately historical truths the country continues to carry to this day.
“He is someone who understands that Black history is American history, and who helped create a space where everyone could come and experience this endlessly fascinating story together,” Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. said.
Bunch has continuously worked against forces of historical erasure, from his start with the Smithsonian in 1978. Before serving as Secretary, Bunch was one of the founding directors of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, guiding the museum from concept to its opening.
Additionally, Bunch oversaw an era of historic protection and growth, including the largest fundraising campaign of a cultural institution, the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future.
“I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been,” he said “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.”
While he cited personal reasons for departing, he acknowledged scrutiny from the Administration.
“It is time for my next chapter, a chapter that will allow me to continue to protect the integrity of the Smithsonian and to champion the importance of a history that illuminates and celebrates the complex story of our nation,” Bunch said. “And I will stand against wind and tide to prevent history from being erased, softened and made palatable.”
After a little over a year of disputes between the Trump Administration and the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, has announced that he will be stepping down from his position at the helm of the institution. Bunch is set to officially retire by the end of the year, with his departure marking the end of his nearly 38-year career with the Smithsonian and a new era for the portrayal and understanding of American history within museums.
While retirement is a common conclusion to any career, Bunch’s departure comes at a particularly significant moment for the Smithsonian. His announcement comes at the culmination of an era of winded and rampant pressure from the Trump Administration to portray American history in a manner that the Administration believes should be “inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”
“A profound loss for those who care about America’s history, not its fantasy. He’s [Bunch] been treated shamefully by people who seem more interested in controlling America’s history than understanding it,” filmmaker Ava DuVernay said.
Trump’s scrutiny on the Smithsonian Institution is not a new development, with the Smithsonian having been under examination since 2025.
In March of that year, Trump issued an executive order calling for a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian’s exhibitions and museums to ensure the content was up to par with Trump’s interpretation of American history, specifically citing the National Museum of African American History and Culture among others. A few months later, the administration released its findings in a report titled “Saving America’s Story”, 162 pages of criticism on the Smithsonian’s presentation of American history and how there should be greater emphasis on American achievement and shared national heritage.
Just weeks later, a second executive order from the President followed, titled “Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution.” Notably, the order was released just two months before Bunch’s announcement and referred to Smithsonian leaders as untrustworthy of telling America’s story, equating erasure with embellishment.
“The leadership of the Smithsonian and the National Museum of American History have altered the museum’s role from accurately and coherently telling America’s story to using museums as a tool to advance personal, radical ideologies,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior and senior Trump administration official Doug Burgum.
Despite backlash from the Administration, expanding the American story has always been central to Bunch’s career, particularly through his work to establish African American history as an embedded and essential part of American history. His career is a testament to the reality that telling America’s story requires confrontation with the people, experiences and histories that have shaped the nation, as they are ultimately historical truths the country continues to carry to this day.
“He is someone who understands that Black history is American history, and who helped create a space where everyone could come and experience this endlessly fascinating story together,” Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. said.
Bunch has continuously worked against forces of historical erasure, from his start with the Smithsonian in 1978. Before serving as Secretary, Bunch was one of the founding directors of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, guiding the museum from concept to its opening.
Additionally, Bunch oversaw an era of historic protection and growth, including the largest fundraising campaign of a cultural institution, the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future.
“I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been,” he said “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.”
While he cited personal reasons for departing, he acknowledged scrutiny from the Administration.
“It is time for my next chapter, a chapter that will allow me to continue to protect the integrity of the Smithsonian and to champion the importance of a history that illuminates and celebrates the complex story of our nation,” Bunch said. “And I will stand against wind and tide to prevent history from being erased, softened and made palatable.”