Smithsonian head Lonnie Bunch to retire amid Trump administration effort to reshape institution

(CNN) — Lonnie Bunch III said Tuesday that he will retire as the head of the Smithsonian Institution, a role that placed him at the center of President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape the world's largest museum organization. Bunch said in multiple interviews that his retirement was not related to pressure from the Trump administration for changes to the institution. 'For, I don't know, 45 years, work has taken precedence over family, and I just said at 73, enough's enough,' Bunch told the Washington Post. '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.' It still comes as the Trump administration has increased pressure on the institution, including saying in an August 28 letter that federal agencies may stop working with the Smithsonian if its leadership does not change. The letter cited an earlier report that accused the Smithsonian of moving 'toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country.' Bunch had defended the institution's independence amid the administration's intense scrutiny and efforts to assert control over the 180-year-old institution's content. However, he has also tread a fine political line, complying with the White House's request to hand over extensive documents about museum exhibitions. In a July interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Bunch said, 'It's our job to tell an accurate, complex and truthful history.' However, Trump has taken issue with the Smithsonian's telling of the past, describing it as 'woke' and tasking aides with rooting out what he considers a rewriting of American history at the museums. For example, in a July executive order, the president directed the National Park Service to install temporary signage near the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, warning of 'inaccurate information.' The Smithsonian Board of Regents will choose the next secretary. The board's members include Vice President JD Vance, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Some members of the public are also part of the board, and Trump signed an executive order last year directing Vance to seek the appointment of public members who are aligned with his priorities for the institution. The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.