NEWS: Pressley Thanks Outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Slams Trump’s Fascist Assault on Museums

September 8, 2026 NEWS: Pressley Thanks Outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Slams Trump’s Fascist Assault on Museums Pressley Has Fought to Protect Black History Against Trump’s Crusade to Whitewash Museums; Demanded Investigation Into Trump’s Attack on Smithsonian Pressley Has Drawn Parallels Between Trump’s Attempt Remove Museum Exhibits to Nazi Germany Destroying Jewish Art WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement thanking outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III and slamming the Trump Administration’s ongoing fascist assault on American museums. Secretary Bunch announced that he would step down from his role at the end of this year. Congresswoman Pressley has led efforts in Congress to protect Black history against Trump’s crusade to whitewash American museums and has demanded an investigation into Trump’s attack on the Smithsonian. In a July committee hearing, the Congresswoman highlighted Trump’s attempts to erase , whitewash, and rewrite American history, through his attacks on Smithsonian museums and cultural institutions. “Secretary Lonnie Bunch III spent his career making sure America tells the full truth about itself. I am deeply grateful for his extraordinary leadership, his stewardship of American history, and his unwavering defense of our stories during an unprecedented, anti-Black, and fascist assault from the highest levels of power. “I was honored to meet with Secretary Bunch last year to discuss his work and how we can push back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on the Smithsonian’s independence and its mission to tell the full, complicated, and beautiful story of America. It is a shame that he is stepping down at a moment when Black America and Black history are under attack by an occupant of the Oval Office hell bent on erasing, whitewashing, and rewriting our shared history to push a false narrative about our country. “While Secretary Bunch’s resignation is a loss for the Smithsonian and our country, his work must continue. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors, and I will not stop fighting to protect our museums, defend the truth, and preserve our history for generations to come.” Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in defending diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, protecting Black history, and pushing back against Republicans’ efforts to deny intellectual freedom—whether by banning books or threatening museums. Rep. Pressley has also led on securing critical funding for museums, arts, and humanities. In 2022, she secured $207 million in federal funding for both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment of the Arts, which has supported communities, schools, and small businesses throughout the Massachusetts 7th Congressional district. She also secured $2,505,000 for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program in the National Parks Service Operations. Rep. Pressley has advocated for support for museums across the country that are dedicated to archiving, researching, and preserving the African American experience, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In FY26, she secured $6 million for the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture—including $500,000 for Boston’s Museum of African American History —which will provide such museums the resources they need to build on their work and continue to make history more accessible to the public. In February 2026, Rep. Pressley led 52 of her colleagues in introducing a resolution to honor Black history museums and cultural institutions in their telling of our accurate, shared American history and protect these institutions from erasure, whitewashing, and funding cuts. In August 2025, Rep. Pressley condemned Trump’s attempt to politicize, editorialize, and whitewash exhibits at Smithsonian museums—particularly museums and exhibits with diverse and factual presentations of American history. In May 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation on the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities. A copy of the letter is available here . In May 2025, Rep. Pressley convened a roundtable and press conference at the Museum of African American History in Boston to uplift the vital role of museums in preserving our shared history amid Donald Trump’s attack on cultural institutions and his attempts to erase the documented histories of marginalized communities. In April 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history. ### Back to News Next Article Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email