Smithsonian chief to retire after clashes with White House

Driving the news: Bunch will step down by the end of the year after nearly 38 years at the Smithsonian, the institution said Tuesday.

• "It is time for my next chapter, a chapter that will allow me to continue to protect the integrity of the Smithsonian and to champion the importance of a history that illuminates and celebrates the complex story of our nation," the 73-year-old said.

Flashback: Bunch pushed back against a White House review of the Smithsonian in a July message to staff, saying the report was "not a fair characterization" of the National Museum of American History.

• He said the Smithsonian remained committed to "scholarship, nonpartisanship, independence, accuracy, and integrity."

Zoom out: Bunch was the Smithsonian's first Black leader and earlier founded the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

• During his tenure, Congress authorized two new Smithsonian museums: the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino.

What's next: The Smithsonian's Board of Regents will name an acting secretary and launch a national search for Bunch's successor.

Go deeper: Why Trump's Smithsonian museums culture war worries historians

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.