‘Who wants to sign up to deal with the political pressure?’: Smithsonian faces Trump’s culture war as search for leader is on

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie G. Bunch III testifies during a Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing on oversight of the Smithsonian Institution, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, in March 2022. Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via CNN Newsource

As the Smithsonian Institution prepares to launch a nationwide search for a new leader, an unexpected question mark hangs over the position that’s long been considered a plum one in the worlds of art, science and history.

“Who wants to sign up to deal with the political pressure?” one person close to the Smithsonian Board of Regents board told CNN.

The search is one of the most consequential in decades, coming at a time of great turmoil.

The storied institution is squarely in the crosshairs of a culture war pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration this week revealed how it plans to install signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to “correct” allegedly inaccurate and “woke” information in the exhibits.

And the leadership vacuum created by the upcoming departure of longtime Secretary Lonnie Bunch III extends to the Smithsonian board where vacancies are mounting – raising fears that Trump may try to influence the process to stack the governing body with his allies.

In this moment of unusual political maneuvering, some are looking to Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts, who has served as chancellor of the Smithsonian since 2005, as a steady hand. But those who know Roberts say it’s unlikely he would be an outspoken advocate for any particular outcome. Instead, they expect he’ll work behind the scenes to ensure that process is followed.

In previous searches for the Smithsonian’s secretary, discussions often centered on management experience, museum leadership and scholarship. Now, some sources familiar with the process say, political savvy might be just as important as museum credentials.

Besides overseeing a vast cultural institution, the next secretary may also need strong crisis-management skills, the ability to handle pressure from the White House and the political dexterity to navigate Congress, the source close to the board suggested. The source also acknowledged that the current political climate could make it harder to recruit a candidate.

“It might be very hard for people who might want this job, it’s not a simple task to find someone on the outside to leave their current role at a time like now,” said the person, who asked to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak on behalf of the Board of Regents.

‘If you want to take control’

When Lonnie Bunch, the first African American secretary in the Smithsonian’s 180-year history, announced this month that he would retire at the end of 2026, he took care to say that the decision was not related to the pressure from the Trump administration he had been facing for months.

But even one of Bunch’s fiercest critics, Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said he was surprised that he stayed as long as he did.

Bunch steadfastly advocated for the Smithsonian’s independence over the last 18 months after Trump launched his broadside with an executive order on “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” directing a review of all exhibits.

“Throughout this whole ordeal, I was like, ‘Why does he want to hang in like that?’ But he was hanging in, and he was fighting,” Gonzalez said.

The Board of Regents, which will choose the next secretary and is expected to enlist the help of a search firm to identify potential successors, is itself in flux.

There are three current vacancies on the 17-member board and, according to the institution, three more terms will lapse on October 2. These vacancies are members of the public appointed to the board. Members serve for six-year terms and can be renewed for a second term.

The board submitted names of prospective candidates several months ago to fill seats left vacant by departing regents, but the White House hasn’t responded, a source with knowledge of the matter tells CNN. It’s been “crickets,” the source said.

Congress approves board members and the White House signs off, so the process has been effectively stalled. While the board still has enough members to govern, the loss of citizen regents leaves a body increasingly dominated by political officeholders, including six members of Congress and Vice President JD Vance.

“If you want to take control of the Smithsonian, the seats are important,” the source said of the Board of Regents.

The White House has not responded to CNN’s request for comment.

While it’s not clear what the holdup on filling the vacancies is, Trump directed Vance in his executive order last year to work with congressional leaders to seek the appointment of public members who are aligned with his priorities for the institution.

Vance has not had a consistent presence at board meetings, but a source familiar with the matter says he has not shied away from exerting political pressure. They point to two meetings last year where they discussed Trump’s desire to oust National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet: Vance reminded the board that it needed to do what the president wanted because much of the Smithsonian’s funding comes from the federal government.

Signposting history

Meanwhile, the White House ramped up its criticism of the Smithsonian this summer, issuing a report accusing its leaders of adopting a divisive, far-left ideological framework that erases American heritage. And earlier this month, the administration suggested federal agencies stop working with the Smithsonian if its leadership didn’t change.

Then, in a letter to Congress, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revealed taxpayers will spend about $84,000 on 12 temporary signs outside the Smithsonian’s American history museum. Trump had directed the installation of the signs in July but offered few details.

Burgum points to specific exhibits and educational materials dealing with immigration, gender identity and race as justification for the signs. The administration is framing the effort not as censorship, but a transparency measure designed to provide visitors with what Burgum describes as “important context” before they enter the museum.

“In the interest of transparency and full disclosure, the public deserves to know,” he wrote.

Burgum repeatedly cited comments made by Bunch and Anthea Hartig, the American history museum director, about social justice, race and immigration. He also notes Bunch’s involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The letter, which says the signs are “not yet finalized,” also acknowledges the unusual nature of the move. “This may be the first instance in which executive branch intervention of this nature has become necessary,” Burgum wrote.

Eyes on Roberts

Shortly after Bunch announced his retirement, Chief Justice Roberts opened a Smithsonian Board of Regents meeting with positive remarks about him. He also praised Bunch in a statement, thanking the outgoing secretary for “distinguished service for the past seven years in the Smithsonian’s top job” and said the board looked forward to “working with him in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition for his successor.”

Roberts has seen the regents through the selection of three Smithsonian secretaries.

While Roberts mostly listens during board meetings, sources say he cares deeply about the Smithsonian and his role, and they hope he helps put the board in the best position to make decisions about the institution’s future.

But Roberts also could be constrained by the fact that the Trump administration’s more controversial moves at the Smithsonian could be litigated. Some critics have argued the president’s actions have exceeded his authority.

“He is careful by nature,” a source familiar with the matter said. “He recognizes he doesn’t want to be too engaged on things that could go before the Supreme Court.”

CNN’s Piper Hudspeth-Blackburn and Joan Biskupic contributed to this report.