The Trump administration fired Dr. Carla D. Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, effective immediately Thursday through a two-sentence email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office.
The abrupt termination continues Trump’s purge of federal officials perceived to oppose his policies. Hayden, the first woman to serve as Librarian of Congress, was informed of her dismissal in an email that simply stated her position was “terminated effective immediately,” according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press (AP).
“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,” wrote Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel Trent Morse at 6:56 p.m. Eastern Time.
The White House move followed criticism from the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), a conservative government transparency non-profit that targeted Hayden earlier Thursday on X, accusing her of being “woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids.”
The AFF then thanked the president for her termination after the news broke.
President Barack Obama nominated Hayden and the Senate confirmed her in 2016 with a vote of 74-18, according to The Hill. She was confirmed to a 10-year term that would have ended next year. Her Library of Congress biography credits her with modernizing the institution and making it more open to the public.
The firing infuriated congressional Democrats. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Hayden “a trailblazer, a scholar, and a public servant of the highest order,” while Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, her party’s ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, called on the administration to explain her dismissal, according to the AP.
“Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” said New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, the top Democrat on the Senate panel responsible for Library finances.
Situated near the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress stands as a centerpiece of American culture and history. It is the world’s largest library, enriched with an extensive collection of books, historical documents and the papers of over three dozen Supreme Court justices and almost two dozen U.S. presidents.
Principal Deputy Librarian Robert Newlen acknowledged that he will serve as acting librarian “until further instruction,” according to another email obtained by the AP.
