Trump orders warning signs outside Smithsonian over ‘woke’ exhibits
President Donald Trump orders warning signs outside the Smithsonian, alleging politicized exhibits that emphasize activism over history. The institution faces scrutiny for promoting racial reparations and for a 2020 infographic criticizing ‘white culture.’ A congressional hearing further ignited debate over the museum’s ‘woke’ displays and their historical accuracy, highlighting the growing tension.
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FIRST ON FOX: Lonnie Bunch III, the Smithsonian Institution secretary who called DEI an “integral to excellence in museum practice,” raked in over $4.4 million from 2020-2024 in base salary and added benefits, a Fox News Digital review found.
While the Smithsonian funds executive compensation through private trust revenues to comply with federal pay caps, the high-dollar package could draw fresh scrutiny because federal taxpayers still fund roughly 60% of the institution’s overall budget.
During his tenure, Bunch has championed a sweeping transformation of the institution’s cultural footprint, stating during a 2019 interview with the Smithsonian Magazine that he wanted the Smithsonian to make “diversity and inclusion so central that it’s no longer talked about.”
“We call ourselves the Great Convener, but we’re really a great legitimizer. And I want the Smithsonian to legitimize important issues, whether it’s 1619 or climate change,” Bunch said, referring to the controversial 1619 Project that has been repeatedly slammed for “egregious errors” by scholars. “We help people think about what’s important, what they should debate, what they should embrace.”
FORMER DEMOCRATIC STAFFERS, DEI LEADERS SHAPE SMITHSONIAN LEADERSHIP AMID POLITICAL FIRESTORM
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)
“Everybody that thought about the 1619 Project, whether they liked it or disagreed with it, saw that the Smithsonian had fingerprints on it. And that to me was a great victory,” he added.
As secretary, Bunch reports to the organization’s board of regents and oversees the Smithsonian’s 21 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo and several research centers. Within the organization, the departments of the deputy secretary, chief operating officer and external affairs report to him.
While Bunch’s current salary is not public yet, the Smithsonian Institution’s 990 tax forms from 2020 to 2024 show that he has raked in millions of dollars, including a salary of $915,469 with $74,090 in added benefits in 2024. Other years range from $726,156 to $861,379 for his salary and up to $68,391 in added benefits.
In addition to the interview, he co-wrote a policy framework resource titled “Excellence in DEAI,” an acronym for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion, which was written for the American Alliance of Museums.
Bunch further elaborated on his views on diversity in this 17-page document, which says that museums should “embed responsibility and accountability for implementing DEAI policies and processes into operations, job descriptions, and performance reviews at all levels of the institution, from the board of directors, c-level executives, and senior leaders to middle managers, junior staff, and volunteers.”
“DEAI is integral to excellence in museum practice. FULL STOP,” Bunch wrote.
“Amid social, political and cultural polarization and clear structural racism and other forms of oppression in the United States and around the world, DEAI must be at the center of how we understand and practice excellence in our institutions,” he added.
SMITHSONIAN PUSHED ‘REVOLTING’ SOCIAL ACTION TRAINING AFTER ‘WHITENESS’ CHART APOLOGY: EXPERT
Lonnie Bunch, the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, poses for a portrait ahead of the opening of the “American Aspirations” exhibit, featuring some of the Smithsonian’s most treasured objects to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, at the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall, on Thursday, May 28, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Bunch’s comments, along with statements from other Smithsonian leadership members, have prompted scrutiny from the Trump administration. In a report titled Saving America’s Story, the administration raised concerns that the organization had taken on a clear political bent.
“Confirmed in the words of museum leadership, this ideological capture has moved the museum’s mission away from straightforward historical education and scholarship toward an extreme political activism that seeks to transform our country,” the report reads.
For his part, Bunch has claimed that he sees himself as an apolitical actor without an agenda despite pushing for DEAI.
“What the country needs are places that are nonpartisan and safe, where people can grapple with what’s going on around them,” Bunch told Smithsonian Smithsonian Magazine.
The Smithsonian, which was established by Congress in 1846 as an independent federal trust, depends heavily on taxpayer dollars.
TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Honoree Lonnie Bunch, 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, attends the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation 2025 Good Trouble Gala at Flourish Atlanta on May 29, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
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“Financially, the institution depends on the federal government for approximately two-thirds of its funding,” the organization stated in its 2025 management report.
Bunch did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether he believes his political leanings are at odds with the Smithsonian’s overall purpose or whether federal funding should prevent the organization’s employees from furthering a stated agenda.
