The head of the Smithsonian Institution announced his retirement Tuesday, stepping down amid an escalating clash with the Trump administration over the leadership and direction of the nation’s museums.Lonnie Bunch III, who has led the Smithsonian since 2019 and was the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, said he will leave the post by the end of the year."It is with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude that I announce my retirement from the Smithsonian," Bunch said in a press release."I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been.
There is no place like the Smithsonian — it has been one of the great loves of my life, and I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished together." SMITHSONIAN SHOWDOWN INTENSIFIES AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ISSUES A STARK NEW WARNINGLonnie Bunch III speaks during the Smithsonian Latino Museum Reception on June 16, 2022, in Washington, D.C.(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Smithsonian Latino Museum)"I leave with pride and sadness, gratitude and joy, and with enormous confidence in the people who will carry this remarkable institution forward," he added.Bunch’s departure comes as the Trump administration has intensified scrutiny of the Smithsonian, accusing its leadership of allowing progressive ideology to shape its presentation of American history and raising concerns about potential violations of federal nondiscrimination law.In a letter recently made public by the Department of the Interior, the administration said the Smithsonian leadership’s "institutional culture may have resulted in significant violations of Federal antidiscrimination law," including allegedly creating a hostile work environment and allocating opportunities, funding and other benefits based on race, ethnicity and other protected characteristics.The letter did not include specific evidence of illegal activity, an...