‘Let’s tell the truth’: Smithsonian chief receives standing ovation as he hits back at Trump attacks | Washington, D.C.

Lonnie Bunch, the outgoing secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, defended the organization against political interference, insisting that revealing the complex and unvarnished truths of history is an act of “great love” for the country.

Speaking Friday at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, Bunch received a standing ovation from hundreds of spectators and rejected claims that the institution’s staff or exhibits were unpatriotic.

“The idea that this museum or any part of the Smithsonian is made by people who don’t love America, don’t care about America, is incredibly false,” the secretary said. “And what you see in this building is great love. Great respect.”

Bunch, who announced earlier this month that he would step down at the end of the year, was speaking at an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the African American Museum, of which he was founding director.

His remarks come amid growing hostility from Donald Trump’s administration, which released a report accusing Smithsonian leaders of being radical activists and ordered a broad review of the museums’ contents as the United States’ 250th anniversary approaches.

Last year, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where all that is discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the oppressed were – nothing about success, nothing about brilliance, nothing about the future.” »

But on Friday, Bunch said slavery was “fundamental” to understanding the United States. “When people say you talk too much about slavery or that they’re embarrassed by slavery, I wish I was as strong as my slave ancestor. I wish I could believe in the America they believed in. I wish I could dream again of a world they dreamed of.

“So for me, it’s not about, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to be embarrassed, I’m trying to hurt a country.’ I’m trying to get people to understand, how did these people believe? How did they lay this foundation on which we have built? Because it all started there.

He added: “So for me it’s really about saying that they believed in something that I don’t know why they believed – that if we could capture some of that essence, what could we do?

Bunch, who began his career at the Smithsonian in 1978 and became its first Black secretary in 2019, insisted that museum curation must be based on independent research rather than political pressure.

“You cannot understand the greatness of a country without understanding the totality of a country,” he said. “You can’t understand everything without illuminating the dark corners. Organizing means shedding light. Let’s tell the truth.”

The White House accused cultural institutions of seeking to “rewrite our nation’s history” and ordered warning signs placed outside the nearby National Museum of American History. Trump also threatened to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington after a judge ruled he could not attach his name to it.

The departing group sought to assure its audience that the African-American museum would endure. He said: “Every time I walk through this museum, especially on days when I felt like everyone was beating me…”

Moderator Laura Coates, CNN anchor, interjected: “Has this happened recently?

Bunch joked, “Just once or twice. But I pass and I go down to see Emmett Till’s casket and I find myself saying, ‘You can persevere.’ So for me, that’s what makes me believe that anything is possible. This is what makes me believe that, whatever anyone says, we will never be able to erase what is in this building.

He called the museum a “beacon of possibilities” and a “place of resistance,” adding: “What I’m most proud of is that although there will be pressures and attempts to try to do things, this museum will exist as long as there is an America.

The discussion also featured TV producer and board member Shonda Rhimes, who pledged $1 million to a newly launched legacy fund in Bunch’s honor, funded by an anonymous donation of $3.5 million and a minimum goal of $10 million.

The museum’s acting director, Shanita Brackett, said the fund “will support this museum in a unique and exclusive way”, adding: “It will help ensure that we continue to reflect the values ​​of inclusion, public engagement and independent scholarship without influence.” »

The Smithsonian Institution operates outside of the executive branch, under the direction of a board of regents that includes Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Vice President J.D. Vance.

After Bunch announced his resignation, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla praised him for speaking “truth to power” in the face of Trump’s attacks, while the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, pledged to ensure that Bunch’s successor does not treat the institution as a “culture war battlefield.”