Lonnie Bunch, Smithsonian leader, announces retirement after months of Trump administration criticism

Updated on: September 8, 2026 / 1:02 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Historian Lonnie Bunch will leave his position as secretary of the Smithsonian at the end of the year, he announced Tuesday, after months of escalating criticism of the institution from the Trump administration.

"It is with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude that I announce my retirement from the Smithsonian," Bunch said in a statement. "I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been."

Bunch, who has worked for the Smithsonian for 38 years, said he leaves the position "with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward."

Bunch told The New York Times in an interview that his upcoming retirement wasn't due to the fights with the administration, saying simply that "now's the time."

"I have to be honest, it has been stressful," he said. "And at a certain point, I'd like to wake up in the morning and not look at my cellphone."

Bunch, 73, co-founded the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, which…

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