Trump Fires National Portrait Gallery Director Over ‘DEI’
trump Aims at Smithsonian DEI,Fires Portrait Gallery Director
President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on diversity,equity,and inclusion (DEI) initiatives by announcing the termination of Kim Sajet,director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait gallery. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, accused Sajet of being “a highly partisan person” and a strong supporter of DEI, which he deemed inappropriate for her position.
“Upon the request and proposal of many people, I am herby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery,” Trump wrote. “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.”
The authority of the president to terminate Sajet remains unclear, given that the National Portrait Gallery operates under the Smithsonian Institution’s purview.
Sajet’s biography on the National Portrait gallery website notes she was the first woman to direct the Smithsonian art museum in Washington, D.C. Her previous roles include president and CEO of the historical Society of Pennsylvania, vice president and deputy director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and director of corporate relations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
This move follows Trump’s earlier actions, including appointing himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and issuing an executive order aimed at eliminating “anti-American ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution. The order prohibits spending on exhibits or programs that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy” and tasks Vice President JD Vance with leading the effort.
The Smithsonian Institution comprises 21 museums, 14 education and research centers, and the National Zoo. The National Portrait Gallery features portraits of every U.S. president, including Kehinde Wiley’s 2018 painting of Barack Obama and a 2017 photograph of Donald trump by Matt McClain. The caption accompanying Trump’s portrait notes his two impeachments and his historic comeback in the 2024 election, making him the only president besides Grover Cleveland to win a nonconsecutive second term.
“I have a great love for the united States and it’s home for me but I do think that there is a real advantage in also being able to stand back,” Sajet told the Guardian last year. “Maybe part of my advantage is to say actually what began in the United States has this ripple effect. Reminding Americans of the tremendous gift that they’ve given to all of us is always a good thing.”
She added, “I’m very proud of being at the portrait gallery of the United States because there are such remarkable people that have shifted the needle not just within the US but across the globe.”
What’s next
The smithsonian Institution has not yet commented on the situation. The search for Sajet’s replacement is expected to begin soon.