President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden connected Thursday arsenic the White House continues to purge the national authorities of those perceived to reason the president and his agenda.

Hayden was notified successful an email precocious Thursday from the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press. Confirmed by the Senate to the occupation successful 2016, Hayden, the longtime person of Baltimore's room system, was the archetypal pistillate and the archetypal African American to beryllium librarian of Congress.

“Carla," the email began. "On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I americium penning to pass you that your presumption arsenic the Librarian of Congress is terminated effectual immediately. Thank you for your service.” A spokesperson for the Library of Congress confirmed that the White House told Hayden she was dismissed.

Hayden, whose 10-year word was acceptable to expire adjacent year, had travel nether backlash from a blimpish advocacy radical that accused her and different room leaders of promoting children's books with “radical” contented and literate worldly authored by Trump opponents.

“The existent #LibrarianOfCongress Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids,” the group, American Accountability Foundation, said connected its X relationship earlier Thursday, conscionable hours earlier the firing was made public. “It’s clip to get her OUT and prosecute a caller feline for the job!"

The Library of Congress makes disposable to lawmakers and the nationalist its immense array of humanities documents, specified arsenic the papers of astir 2 twelve presidents and much than 3 twelve Supreme Court justices. It besides holds collections of uncommon books, prints and photographs, arsenic good arsenic invaluable artifacts — similar a flute owned by President James Madison, which the vocalist and rapper Lizzo played successful a 2022 show arranged by Hayden.

The unexpected determination by Trump infuriated legislature Democrats, who initially disclosed the firing.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the apical Democrat connected the House Appropriations Committee, said Hayden was “callously fired” by Trump and demanded an mentation from the medication arsenic to wherefore she was dismissed.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., applauded Hayden arsenic “an accomplished, principled and distinguished Librarian of Congress."

“Donald Trump’s unjust determination to occurrence Dr. Hayden successful an email sent by a random governmental hack is simply a disgrace and the latest successful his ongoing effort to prohibition books, whitewash American past and crook backmost the clock," Jeffries said. “The Library of Congress is the People’s Library. There volition beryllium accountability for this unprecedented battle connected the American mode of beingness sooner alternatively than later.”

New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, the apical Democrat connected the Senate sheet that oversees backing for the library, said the firing, which helium said came astatine 6:56 p.m., was "taking his battle connected America’s libraries to a caller level.”

While Trump “wants to prohibition books and archer Americans what to work — oregon not to work astatine all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her vocation to making speechmaking and the pursuit of cognition disposable to everyone," Heinrich added.

Robert Newlen, the main lawman librarian, said helium would service arsenic acting librarian of Congress “until further instruction” successful a abstracted email seen by the AP.

“I committedness to support everyone informed,” helium wrote to colleagues.

At a gala Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio joked that helium has assumed 3 different positions successful the Trump medication arsenic nationalist information adviser, acting archivist and acting manager of the U.S. Agency for International Development. During his remarks astatine the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute event, helium said starring the Library of Congress “would beryllium a bully job,” past paused and jokingly projected Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart for the position.

“You cognize what would beryllium good? Library of Congress. That would beryllium a bully job,” Rubio said. “Acting librarian Mario Diaz-Balart. Do you privation it?”