On Thursday, US President Donald Trump dismissed Clara Hayden, the head of the Library of Congress.
The news came to light through a White House email shared by Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich. Hayden is one of many officials Trump has removed since his inauguration earlier this year.
Appointed in 2016 by former President Barack Obama, Hayden made history as the first woman and African American to lead the world’s largest library. Her term was supposed to end in 2026.
The White House notified Hayden of her dismissal via email on Thursday. Heinrich publicly shared the email and expressed regret over the president’s decision, accusing Trump of escalating his attack on American libraries.
Since taking office in January, Trump has dismissed several heads of cultural institutions in the United States, many appointed by Democratic predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama. In February, he removed some board members of the Kennedy Center and took control of the Smithsonian museums and zoo in Washington, which did not align with his ideology or cultural vision.
