Trump Unexpectedly Dismisses the Librarian of Congress in Surprising Move

On Thursday, President Donald Trump dismissed Carla Hayden from her position as the Librarian of Congress, as confirmed by an email obtained by NBC News. The termination email, sent by Trent Morse, the deputy director of presidential personnel, stated that Hayden’s position was terminated effective immediately.

Congressional Democrats were promptly made aware of her dismissal. Robert Newlen, the Principal Deputy Librarian, communicated the news to library employees, stating that he would serve as the acting Librarian of Congress until further notice.

A spokesperson for the Library of Congress later confirmed Hayden’s removal, indicating that it was effective immediately. Hayden, who served as the 14th Librarian of Congress since February 2016, was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

She made history as the first woman and the first African American to hold this position. Notably, she was also the first Librarian of Congress appointed for a fixed term of ten years, rather than for life.

Her term was set to expire next year. Before her appointment, Hayden was the CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore and had recently testified before Congress about modernizing library systems.

In response to her firing, Democrats expressed strong criticism, with Representative Joe Morelle condemning the action as targeting a dedicated public servant. He emphasized Hayden’s career contributions and planned to introduce legislation to ensure that the Librarian of Congress is appointed by Congress rather than the President.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed this sentiment, calling for a change in how the position is filled. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described Trump’s decision as ignorant and detrimental to American libraries.

He stressed that the dismissal reflected a broader agenda to reshape historical narratives. Meanwhile, a conservative nonprofit group expressed satisfaction with Hayden’s termination, labeling her as “woke” and praising the decision.