"Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III defended the work of staff under fire from the White House, according to an email obtained by The Post."
"Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III issued a defense of the National Museum of American History to staffers on Tuesday, in response to a caustic White House report accusing the museum of pushing “extreme political activism.”
In an email obtained by The Washington Post, Bunch wrote to staffers that “we continue to review the report and its findings carefully” and that “there will always be room for improvement.”
But the report “is not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History,” he added. “At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy, and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story.”"
Elahe Izadi and Geoff Edgers report for the Washington Post July 8, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Read The Memo The Smithsonian’s Leader Sent To Staff After White House Report" (Washington Post)
"Inside Trump’s Ideological Fight With the Smithsonian" (New York Times)
"White House Report Accuses Smithsonian Museum Of ‘Extreme Political Activism’" (Washington Post)
"The Weirdest Takeaways From Trump’s 162-Page Smithsonian Report" (Washingtonian)
"The History at the Smithsonian That the White House Finds Unpatriotic" (New York Times)
