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Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts praised the outgoing head of the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday after the official came under fire from President Donald Trump’s administration.
Smithsonian secretary Lonnie Bunch, 73, announced plans to retire this week after more than a year of tension with the White House over how U.S. history is presented at his institution. The Trump administration released a July report earlier this summer laying out its criticisms of the National Museum of American History in particular.
Roberts, who serves as the chancellor of the Smithsonian, hailed Bunch on his departure, saying he “pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story” and that the Smithsonian had “benefited greatly from his wisdom, vision and leadership.”
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Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch listens during an event at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on February 20, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Trump donated her second inaugural dress to the museum, which was designed by fashion designer Herve Pierre, who also designed her first inauguration dress. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Prior to his departure, Bunch had pushed back internally on criticism from the White House. The July report argued that the Smithsonian had become “subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love.”
Bunch responded with an internal email to staff members, acknowledging that there is “room for improvement,” but arguing the report was “not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.”
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National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig appears with former first lady Jill Biden and Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch during the presentation of Biden’s 2021 inaugural dresses at the Smithsonian on Jan. 25, 2023. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP)
“At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story. As public servants and the keepers of this institution, we are charged with helping a nation find understanding, hope and clarity and as part of that duty, we are dedicated to excellence, reflection and growth,” he wrote.
Bunch appears to have relented to pressure after the latest move by the White House, which saw Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley warn that the Smithsonian could lose access to artifacts and grants from the federal government if it continues with its current leadership.
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The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History is seen from the Washington Monument on June 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
Burgum and Haley wrote a letter to Congress last week laying out concerns about ideological capture and potential misconduct among the Smithsonian’s leadership.
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“The administration has recently uncovered evidence that the Smithsonian leadership’s institutional culture may have resulted in significant violations of Federal antidiscrimination law, including creating a hostile work environment and engaging in practices that classify individuals and allocate opportunities, funding and other benefits on the basis of race, ethnicity and other protected characteristics,” the letter read.
