Latest news with #KimSajet
CBS News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Trump fires director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
President Trump is terminating the head of the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery, continuing his aggressive moves to reshape the federal government's cultural institutions. Mr. Trump announced Friday on his Truth Social platform that he was ousting Director Kim Sajet, calling her a "highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position." Sajet, a Dutch citizen raised in Australia, was appointed to the post in 2013 by former President Barack Obama. She had previously served as president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Director of Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery Kim Sajet speaks on stage during the unveiling of Oprah Winfrey's portrait at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery on December 13, 2023 in Washington, Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized the national network of museums and cultural centers as leftist and anti-American. In March, the president signed an executive order targeting funding for programs at the Smithsonian Institution that contain what he characterized as "divisive, race-centered ideology." That order tasked Vice President JD Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents, with overseeing efforts to "remove improper ideology" from all areas of the institution, including its museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo. In February, he also ousted the leadership of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution, dismissing the chairman and president and replacing most of the board with loyalists, who then voted Mr. Trump the new chairman.
Reuters
3 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Trump fires National Portrait Gallery director, citing DEI support
May 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he had fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., describing her as a supporter of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and saying she was inappropriate for the role. Trump did not cite any specific actions or comments by Kim Sajet that may have triggered her firing, which he announced in a brief social media post. Representatives for Sajet, the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution, which owns the museum, did not immediately reply to requests for comment. "Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am herby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet," Trump said in his post on Truth Social. "She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position." He added a new gallery director would be named soon. Sajet was the first woman to serve as director of the gallery, a landmark Washington institution that houses portraits of distinguished Americans, including every president. It contains over 26,000 works, according to its website. It was not immediately clear whether Trump had the legal authority to fire Sajet. The Smithsonian is technically independent of the federal government, despite receiving most of its budget from the U.S. Congress. Sajet's firing is the latest salvo in Trump's war against DEI initiatives. It also comes as Trump seeks to reshape the capital's arts and culture scene, including by dismissing Kennedy Center board members and installing himself as chairman. Trump's DEI actions have alarmed advocates, who say they effectively erase decades of hard-fought progress on leveling the playing field for marginalized communities. Trump's administration claims DEI initiatives are discriminatory and stifle merit. Sajet, a Nigerian-born art historian, has served as the gallery's director since 2013. In a 2015 interview with the Washington Post, opens new tab, Sajet reflected on the gallery's efforts to examine issues of race and gender. "Where are all the women and African Americans?" Sajet told the Post of the gallery's collection. "We can't correct the ills of history. Women and men and women of color — their portraits weren't taken. How are we going to show the presence of absence?"
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Trump Says He Fired Director of National Portrait Gallery, Citing D.E.I.
President Trump posted on social media on Friday that he had fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, calling her 'a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.' It is unclear if the president has legal grounds to fire the director, Kim Sajet, because the National Portrait Gallery is part of the Smithsonian Institution, which is independent of the federal government despite receiving nearly two-thirds of its budget from Congress. The museum's bylaws don't have a provision for terminations, and some legal experts believe that the president would first need approval from the Smithsonian's board of trustees, because he does not directly control the organization. However, this year he called on Vice President JD Vance, who is a member of the Smithsonian's board, to work with Congress to overhaul the institution. A Smithsonian official said the organization was caught off-guard by the president's announcement but declined to comment further. The National Portrait Gallery did not respond to a request for comment. Since returning to office in January, Mr. Trump has reshaped the capital's arts scene, installing himself as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. After he quickly signed an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federally funded institutions, organizations like the Smithsonian closed their diversity offices. The National Gallery of Art changed its mission statement by replacing 'diversity, equity, access and inclusion' with 'welcoming and accessible.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Trump announces sudden firing of museum director Kim Sajet in baffling Truth Social post
President Trump has announced that he has fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery Kim Sajet. In a post to his Truth Social, the president said: 'Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am herby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery. 'She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. 'Her replacement will be named shortly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Sajet, a Dutch citizen raised in Australia, was appointed to the post in 2013 by President Barack Obama. She had previously served as president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Trump has repeatedly criticized the national network of museums and cultural centers as leftist and anti-American. Earlier this spring, he ousted the leadership of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, dismissing the chairman and president and replacing most of the board with loyalists, who then voted Trump the new chairman. It is not immediately clear if the president has the power to dismiss the gallery's director. The gallery, founded by Congress in 1962, operates under the Smithsonian Institution which in turn is funded through a mix of private and public money. Federal funding makes up 62 percent of its backing, according to its website.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Donald Trump fires National Portrait Gallery director for being 'strong supporter' of DEI
President Donald Trump fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet, for being a "strong supporter" of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Trump announced the termination in a post on Truth Social on Friday afternoon. "Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am hereby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery," the president wrote. "She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" A White House official told Fox News Digital that Sajet had donated $3,982 to Democrats, including presidential campaigns for former President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Sajet also reportedly donated to other Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris. The White House also pointed to the gallery's photo of Trump, which was curated by Sajet. The caption of the photo reads, "Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials. After losing to Joe Biden in 2020, Trump mounted a historic comeback in the 2024 election. He is the only president aside from Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) to have won a nonconsecutive second term." The White House official also said it was ironic that Sajet said, "We try very much not to editorialise. I don't want by reading the label to get a sense of what the curator's opinion is about that person. I want someone reading the label to understand that it's based on historical fact." The National Portrait Gallery did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the matter. According to the National Portrait Gallery website, Sajet was the first woman to serve as the director of the National Portrait Gallery, and she spent time in the role looking for ways to put her experience and creativity at the center of learning and civic awareness. Prior to taking the position, Sajet was the president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and held other positions at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Her biography notes that she was born in Nigeria, was raised in Australia and is a citizen of the Netherlands. She came to the U.S. with her family in 1997. Hours after taking the Oath of Office on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate all DEI programs from the federal government. A day later, the president directed the Office of Personnel Management to notify heads of agencies and departments to close all DEI offices and place those government workers in those offices on paid leave. Earlier this month, Trump fired Shira Perlmutter, who was in charge of the U.S. Copyright Office, which came just days after terminating the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. The termination was part of the administration's ongoing purge of government officials who are perceived to be opposed to Trump and his agenda. Both women were notified of their termination by email, The Associated Press previously reported. Hayden tapped Perlmutter to lead the Copyright Office in October 2020.
