Trump Says He's Firing National Portrait Gallery Chief

President Trump announced Friday he has fired Kim Sajet, the longtime director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Sajet, who was the first woman in the role, led the gallery for 12 years. Trump made the move public in a Truth Social post, citing recommendations from "many people" and accusing Sajet of being "highly partisan" and a supporter of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which he called "inappropriate" for the position, per Politico. The gallery hasn't issued a public response.

The dismissal follows an earlier executive order from Trump directing Vice President JD Vance to eliminate what he called "improper ideology" from Smithsonian institutions, per Politico. The directive targeted the removal of "race-centered ideologies" and content related to systemic racism and achievements of transgender individuals—policies Trump's administration argues "rewrite history" and marginalize white people. The president's order also includes the not-yet-opened American Women's History Museum.

The Washington Post notes it's not clear whether Trump has the authority to terminate Sajet, as programming by the Smithsonian doesn't fall under the executive branch's purview, and since staff decisions for high-ranking Smithsonian positions are typically made by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III. Sajet's career before the Smithsonian included leadership at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her ouster is the latest in a series of moves by Trump to overhaul Washington's arts leadership.

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In February, he removed the entire board of the Kennedy Center and installed himself as chair, criticizing the institution for being "too woke," per Politico. Trump then appointed Richard Grenell as interim director and added conservative figures to the Kennedy Center's board, including several Fox News personalities. One ex-National Portrait Gallery historian who spoke to the Post anonymously for fear of repercussions said of Sajet, "I've never thought of her as politically motivated," adding that she was "fair minded, and interested in all kinds of projects." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)