President Donald Trump fired Biden-appointed members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, which oversees the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Those removed include former second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain, former labor secretary Tom Perez, former national security adviser Susan Rice, and Jill Biden’s senior adviser Anthony Bernal. The appointments had been announced in January 2025. Emhoff, who is Jewish, condemned the move as politicizing Holocaust remembrance, while the White House stated Trump will appoint new members who honor the Holocaust and support Israel. The museum issued a statement expressing commitment to its mission without directly addressing the firings.
This matters because it signals the Trump administration’s willingness to politicize a federal museum council traditionally seen as nonpartisan, and it comes amid broader actions targeting institutions over antisemitism, including threats to cut federal funding to universities. The firings could reshape the governance of a major cultural institution dedicated to Holocaust education and memory, raising concerns about the independence of museum boards and the impact on Holocaust remembrance efforts.