Smithsonian chief Lonnie Bunch's lunch with Trump revealed

A new profile in The Atlantic by Clint Smith reveals details of a two-and-a-half-hour lunch between Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and President Donald Trump last summer. According to unnamed White House and Smithsonian officials, Trump did not raise the issue of the Smithsonian's historical narratives but instead launched a "charm offensive," discussing Oval Office chandelier samples, painting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white, relocating the space shuttle Discovery to Houston, and criticizing Washington Dulles International Airport. Bunch has resisted pressure to alter exhibits, stating in March at a Chicago Council on Global Affairs event that no artifacts or interpretations have been changed. However, Bunch's family is urging him to retire, and many Board of Regents terms expire this year, raising concerns about the Smithsonian's independence.