The White House has confirmed that President Donald Trump fired Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress over concerns about her approach to diversity and inclusion in library content. Hayden, the first woman and first Black person to lead the institution, was dismissed via a two-sentence email on Thursday. Her 2016 appointment by President Barack Obama had been widely praised. Democrats criticised the move heavily.
.@PressSec on firing the Librarian of Congress: "There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children and we don't believe that she was serving the interest of the American… pic.twitter.com/Yi6rmAMEG5
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 9, 2025
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday, “We felt she did not fit the needs of the American people. There were quite concerning things she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI, like putting inappropriate books in the library for children. And we don't believe that she was serving the interest of the American taxpayer well. So, she was removed from her position. The President is well within his rights to do that.”
