President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had fired Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., citing her as a "highly partisan person" and a "strong supporter of DEI." Sajet had led the museum since 2013, and her termination follows a series of executive orders targeting the Smithsonian Institution, including one in March that criticized "anti-American ideology" at its museums. The museum currently features the exhibition "America’s Presidents," which includes a portrait of Trump with a caption referencing his impeachments and the January 6 Capitol attack. The National Portrait Gallery did not respond to requests for comment, and no replacement has been named.
This firing matters because it marks an unprecedented political intervention into the leadership of a major Smithsonian museum, raising concerns about the politicization of cultural institutions. Trump’s executive orders have already led to the winding down of DEI programs at the Smithsonian and the departure of Kevin Young, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The move signals a broader effort to reshape how American history is presented in federally funded museums, potentially chilling curatorial independence and historical accuracy.