Trump Fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden
Hayden was dismissed via a two sentence email a year before her term was set to expire.
President Trump abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Thursday evening, ending her historic tenure a year before it was set to expire.
Appointed by President Obama in 2016 and confirmed by the Senate in a 74-18 bipartisian vote, Hayden was the first woman and first Black American to lead the Library of Congress. (People)
The dismissal came in a two-sentence email sent yesterday at 6:56 p.m. ET:
“Carla, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.” (USA Today)
The firing drew swift criticism from lawmakers, who noted Hayden was confirmed in a bipartisan vote and had overseen major modernization and accessibility efforts at the Library. (AP)
New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, the top Democrat on the committee that oversees library funding, condemned the dismissal: “Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” he said, calling the firing “an assault on America’s libraries.” (AP)
Meanwhile, hours before her firing, the conservative group American Accountability Foundation posted the following on X: “The current #LibrarianOfCongress Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids.”
Her term was originally scheduled to end in 2026.
Behind the Dismissal: DEI Fights, Conservative Pressure, and Federal Shakeups
👉 In today’s Pro Brief, we unpack why Hayden was fired, the backlash from top Democratic lawmakers—and what it reveals about Trump’s broader approach to power in Washington.
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