The Smithsonian Institution rejected President Trump’s firing of the director of the National Portrait Gallery and says it retains authority over staff.
Ten days ago, Trump claimed he was firing Kim Sajet, the director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery — which boasts the only complete collection of presidential portraits and photos outside the White House.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on May 30, Trump announced that he would be dismissing Sajet — describing her as “a strong supporter” of diversity initiatives that his administration opposes.
“She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
However, in a statement on Monday evening, the Smithsonian, which oversees the NPG alongside 20 other museums as well as libraries and research centers, challenged Trump’s firing of Sajet and asserted its power over personnel decisions.
“All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the secretary, with oversight by the board,” the Smithsonian says in a statement. “Lonnie G. Bunch, the secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.”
According to The New York Times, the statement was released hours after the Smithsonian’s quarterly meeting of the Board of Regents to discuss the fate of Sajet. Vice President JD Vance is a member of this board.
Sajet is the first female director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., founded by Congress in 1962. It is now home to a collection of about 26,000 objects, including 1,700 images of presidents from portraits of George Washington to Trump.
Meanwhile, the National Portrait Gallery’s Photographs collection consists of more than 250,000 original photographic images of which at least 130,000 are original negatives.
The Smithsonian’s pushback on the White House comes after Trump fired Librarian of Congress Shira Perlmutter, the leader of the United States Copyright Office due to her focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
After beginning his second presidency in January, Trump issued an executive order directing the removal of “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology” from the Smithsonian’s museums.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
Source link