Trump Fires National Portrait Gallery Director

The director, Kim Sajet, had served in the role since 2013. Trump says he would soon name a replacement.

Patrons view a portrait of former U.S. President Donald Trump in the America’s Presidents exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery as the Smithsonian Institution begins to slowly re-open its museums in Washington on May 14, 2021. Trump’s portrait, a photograph made by Pari Dukovic, is on display to the public for the first time since the closure of the museums due to the coronavirus pandemic. Win McNamee/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on May 30 announced that he has dismissed the director of the National Portrait Gallery, an institution in Washington known for hosting portraits of U.S. presidents and other artwork.

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Smithsonian Institution and, along with the American Museum of Art, exhibits the portraits of every U.S. president alongside other prominent artwork by Americans and foreign artists. Famously, the facility houses one of four original “Lansdowne Portraits” of President George Washington, as well as Kehinde Wiley’s widely acclaimed portrait of former President Barack Obama.

Citing the recommendations of others, whom he did not name, Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he would terminate the appointment of Director Kim Sajet, a Dutch art historian who has served in the role since 2013. Trump said that she was “highly partisan.”

“Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am hearby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery,” wrote Trump. “She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Sajet’s biography on the Smithsonian Institution website lists her as having a doctorate from Georgetown University and a graduate degree from Bryn Mawr College, both in the United States. She previously worked in curatorial roles at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

The dismissal of Sajet is part of Trump’s effort to reform the cultural institutions run by the federal government.

Earlier this year, Trump dismissed and replaced the executive director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, as well as most of its board of trustees. The president was later elected the chairman of the center’s board and designated his aide, Ric Grenell, as the executive director.

Additionally, Trump has dismissed Carla Hayden from her position as librarian of Congress, citing similar allegations of partisanship. He has since appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve as the acting librarian pending a permanent replacement.

The Smithsonian Institution, which oversees the National Portrait Gallery, is a federal government organization that runs several museums and other educational facilities across the United States. It is overseen by a board, which includes the vice president and is chaired ex officio by the chief justice of the United States.