Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch Slams White House Report As ‘Not a Fair Characterization’ of Museum’s Scholarship
On Saturday, July 4, the Trump Administration released a 162-page report accusing the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History of being captured by “a radical, activist ideology.” Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III responded in an email to staff obtained by the Washington Post and published Wednesday evening, calling the report “not a fair characterization” and saying the Smithsonian is guided by scholarship, accuracy, and nonpartisanship. The article situates Bunch’s response amid earlier 2025 tensions, including Trump’s attempt to fire National Portrait Gallery director Kim Saget, who resigned and later joined the Milwaukee Art Museum. The July 4 report urged the president to seek reforms through Smithsonian governance figures such as the Chief Justice (as Chancellor), the Vice President (as a Regent), and the Speaker of the House, but did not propose specific remedies.
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This story was covered in Restitution Shockwaves and AI’s Hollywood Heist