As America celebrates its 250th, Smithsonian leader Lonnie Bunch treads a fine political line | CNN Politics

For over a year, Lonnie Bunch III, the head of the storied Smithsonian Institution, has been at the center of a political tempest. Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, the world’s largest museum institution and a key voice in shaping the narrative of America’s history has been under pressure to remove “woke” ideology. In a rare interview on Thursday, Bunch insisted the Smithsonian has maintained its autonomy even as the institution has “given everything that’s been asked” by the White House for its review of the institution and its exhibits. So far, Bunch told CNN, the White House has not requested any changes or updates. After largely staying out of the public eye as he contends with Trump’s criticism of the Smithsonian, Bunch has helped curate his first exhibition since becoming its secretary – a display to mark America’s 250th birthday. While Trump looms large over other celebrations planned for this summer, the historian and first Black American to serve as head of the Smithsonian says the administration did not play any part in his thinking or selections. “My goal is that history is driven by scholarship, not partisanship,” he said. â