Donald Trump Announces Firing of National Portrait Gallery Director
In a controversial move, former President Donald Trump announced he is terminating the first female director of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet. The announcement, made via his social media platform, claims Sajet, a Nigerian-born, Australian-raised citizen of the Netherlands, is a “strong supporter” of diversity initiatives opposed by Trump’s administration and is “highly partisan.” However, he provided no evidence to substantiate these allegations.
Legal experts, including Eric Columbus, a former litigator for the January 6 select committee, argue that Trump lacks the authority to dismiss Sajet, as the National Portrait Gallery is a part of the Smithsonian Institution, which operates independently of the executive branch.
The National Portrait Gallery, recognized for its extensive collection of presidential portraits, recently featured a caption about Trump that highlighted his two impeachments and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot orchestrated by his supporters. The text notes Trump’s acquittals by the Senate and his pursuit of a historic comeback in the 2024 election, positioning him as only the second U.S. president, after Grover Cleveland, to secure a nonconsecutive second term.
Sajet, who has held leadership positions in various prestigious art institutions since immigrating to the U.S. in 1997, was appointed director of the National Portrait Gallery in 2013. She has emphasized her commitment to neutrality in the gallery’s exhibitions. “Everyone has an opinion about American presidents, good, bad and indifferent,” she stated, underscoring the gallery’s effort to maintain balance in its presentations.
The developments follow Trump’s executive order issued early in his second term, aimed at eliminating what he deemed “improper, divisive or anti-American” content from the nation’s museums.
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