Trump Dismisses Some Holocaust Memorial Council Members, Including Doug Emhoff

The former second gentleman was appointed by President Joe Biden.

Then-U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff speaks during an event celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month at the White House on May 16, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

President Donald Trump has dismissed some members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, the White House confirmed on April 30.

“President Trump looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Epoch Times in an email.

Doug Emhoff, the former second gentleman, said in a statement that he was among the members who were dismissed.

“Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized,” Emhoff wrote on social media platform X. “To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous—and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.”

The Holocaust Memorial Council, established by Congress in 1980, oversees the museum. It consists of 55 members appointed by the president, in addition to members from the Senate, House of Representatives, and departments of Education, Interior, and State. The members usually serve for five years.

Emhoff and some other members were appointed by President Joe Biden while he was in office. Emhoff is the husband of Kamala Harris, who was Biden’s vice president.

The museum, which opened in Washington in 1993 and features various exhibits that educate visitors about the Holocaust, is a nonprofit funded through private contributions and government funding. It received $67 million in fiscal year 2024 from the government.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said on X that removing members before the end of their terms “risks politicizing a vital institution.”

While the White House can appoint and dismiss members, dismissal should only happen “in the most egregious situations,” he said.

Greenblatt urged officials to offer an explanation for the dismissals and to reconsider the action.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), a member of the Holocaust Memorial Council, also decried the dismissals, calling them in a statement to news outlets “an attempt to politicize an institution dedicated to remembering one of the worst atrocities in our history and hurts our efforts to educate future generations.”

The museum said in a statement: “At this time of high antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial, the museum is gratified that our visitation is robust and demand for Holocaust education is increasing. We look forward to continuing to advance our vitally important mission as we work with the Trump administration.”