September 8, 2026, 11:56 AM ET

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch plans to announce his retirement from the institution at the end of this year, bringing to a close a tenure marked by unprecedented pressure on the museum complex from a White House keen on controlling how to tell the nation’s history. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the departure to The Atlantic. Bunch’s departure will be publicly announced soon.

Bunch’s exit will leave the Smithsonian, which is partially federally funded, with a vacuum at the top as it faces escalating efforts from the Trump administration to influence its work. Bunch, known to be diplomatic and even-handed, had largely staved off the White House’s encroachment over a tumultuous 18 months in which the Trump administration issued executive orders and memos criticizing the museums and threatened to withhold funding. Most recently, Trump signed an executive order calling for signage to be added to the exterior of the National Museum of American History warning about what the administration believes is an inaccurate and partisan telling of history.

Before becoming secretary, Bunch was best known as the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

This is a developing story and will be updated.