US President Donald Trump has fired the country’s top librarian, his spokeswoman confirmed Friday, cutting short the term of the only woman and first African American to take on the role.
The White House accused librarian of Congress Carla Hayden of introducing “concerning” initiatives to bolster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and “putting inappropriate books in the library for children.”
“(We) don’t believe that she was serving the interests of the American taxpayer well, so she has been removed from her position and the president is well within his rights to do that,” Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
But the move sparked a furious backlash from Democrats, who accused Trump of trying to silence opposing views.
Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the Democrats in the House of Representatives, called Hayden’s dismissal “a disgrace and the latest in (Trump’s) ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history and turn back the clock.”
“The Library of Congress is the People’s Library. There will be accountability for this unprecedented assault on the American way of life sooner rather than later,” he said in a statement.
New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich praised Hayden for running a library that was “accessible to all Americans, in person and online.”
“While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read — or not to read at all — Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” he said.
Hayden was nominated to manage the world’s largest library in 2016 but has been criticized by conservatives, including members of the American Accountability Foundation lobby group, which has accused her of seeking to “indoctrinate America’s children with radical sexual ideologies.”
“Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids,” the group posted on social media hours ahead of the librarian’s firing. “It’s time to get her OUT and hire a new guy for the job!”
Hayden’s 10-year term was set to expire next year.
The Library of Congress provides research and information for the legislative process as well as managing a vast collection of books, films, audio recordings and other materials.
The librarian of Congress is responsible for setting policy and managing staff, while also overseeing the US Copyright Office and appointing the poet laureate.
The library did not respond to a request for comment.
