In a move that shocked absolutely no one who has been paying attention, Lonnie Bunch III is stepping down as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution after seven years at the helm - right as Donald Trump's administration wages an all-out war on the world's largest museum complex. Bunch, 73, told the New York Times that the Trump administration's pressure campaign to control how the Smithsonian presents US history and values had nothing to do with his departure. Sure, and the sky is also not blue.
Republicans wasted no time dancing on the resignation. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri wrote, "Good riddance," adding that Bunch "should return his salary to the American people." Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas declared he was "glad to see" Bunch retire, tweeting, "The days of using America's museums to teach Americans to hate their own country are coming to an end." Because nothing says 'accurate history' like pretending the US has always been a flawless beacon of virtue.
Democrats, meanwhile, are singing Bunch's praises. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, who serves on the Smithsonian's 17-member board and will help pick the replacement, called him "a student of history who has devoted his life to telling America's full history." Representative Terri Sewell of Alabama thanked him for his "trailblazing leadership" in helping "ensure that all Americans can see themselves - and their history - reflected in the Smithsonian." The outgoing chief apparently committed the cardinal sin of telling the truth, which, in Trump's America, is grounds for termination.
The Smithsonian saga is just one of many battles in Trump's war on inconvenient facts. In March, he signed an executive order targeting "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology" at the institution. A White House report titled "Saving America's Story" accused the museum's leadership of "ideological capture," claiming the Smithsonian treats the American story "as a political instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourage our citizens." In July, Trump ordered the interior department to display signs in front of the National Museum of American History accusing the institution of "inaccurate information." Because nothing says 'accurate' like government-mandated signage.
Meanwhile, in other halls of power, the US Supreme Court declined to suspend a Missouri ruling that blocks a Trump-backed House map from being used in the November election. The state's highest court said the map must go before voters, and Trump called it "horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional" - a phrase that could double as a summary of his entire administration. Missouri's Republican attorney general, Catherine Hanaway, appealed, but conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh denied the emergency request. Even the conservative wing apparently has limits when it comes to blatant power grabs.
In a separate legal victory for sanity, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a block on the IRS sharing tax return information with ICE. The court noted that the IRS's argument - that the injunction "impedes and delays federal law enforcement" - is a problem for Congress to fix, not the courts. The judges called the administration's claim "weak sauce." That's right, federal judges are now using condiment metaphors to describe government overreach. Last year, the IRS established a "Data-Exchange Procedure" with ICE, providing the agency with addresses of 1.2 million taxpayers who may be undocumented. The court ruled no statute authorizes such disclosure without taxpayer consent. Maybe the administration should stick to ketchup packets for its legal reasoning.
On the international front, the US Central Command (Centcom) clarified that a submarine drone Iranian forces claimed to have captured actually "malfunctioned more than a day ago." US Navy Capt Tim Hawkins said the underwater drone was surveying regional waters, was "defective," an older model, and "neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment." So Iran captured a broken, obsolete piece of equipment and tried to spin it as a victory. Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) told Iranian state TV they "captured one of the most modern, unmanned, and smart submarines of the US terrorist army." The only thing smart about that drone was its decision to malfunction and avoid being part of this ridiculous charade.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is "not going to do what the UK did" and impose sweeping sanctions on Israeli settlements, while expressing hope for no "uptick in violence" in the West Bank. Because clearly, the best way to prevent violence is to do nothing. And in New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the city would release 170,000 pages of documents showing officials knew about health risks from post-9/11 air quality but assured the public otherwise. The city directed $34m to create a public portal for the records, just in time for the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Better late than never, we suppose.
Democrats also hit back at Trump's suggestion to rename New Mexico "New America." Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham responded on X, "New Mexico's name isn't up for debate - it's been ours since before the United States existed." She added, "While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, gas prices keep soaring." Because when you're losing on all fronts, why not propose renaming a state?
Finally, a US appellate court ruled that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to clean water. The fifth circuit upheld a lower court's dismissal of a 2022 lawsuit from Jackson, Mississippi residents claiming tainted drinking water violated their constitutional rights. The majority opinion said residents wanted "recognition of two new constitutional rights lacking any foundation in the history and tradition of our nation" - the right to be free from contaminated water and the right to accurate information from public officials. Instead, the court suggested residents pursue "tort claims" or "electing representatives who will better manage the public-water system." Because nothing says 'justice' like telling people in a majority-Black city with lead in their water to just vote harder.
As Bunch packs his bags, one can only hope the Smithsonian's next leader will be brave enough to tell the truth, even if it means facing the wrath of a president who prefers his history sanitized and his museums compliant.