Trump Fires National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet Over DEI and “Partisanship”
In a surprising move, President Donald Trump has announced the dismissal of Kim Sajet, the Director of the National Portrait Gallery, citing her outspoken support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and what he described as overtly partisan behavior.
Trump made the announcement via a statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, declaring:
“Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am hereby 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.”
Sajet, who has led the Portrait Gallery since 2013, became a focal point of controversy over a museum caption accompanying a portrait of Trump himself. The label referenced the former president’s two impeachments, subsequent acquittals, and his unprecedented return to office with a non-consecutive second term in 2024.
Critics within the Trump administration viewed the caption as a politically charged editorial, despite Sajet’s repeated assertions that the gallery strives to present history without personal opinion.
“We try very much not to editorialize,” Sajet said in a previous interview. “I don’t want by reading the label to get a sense of what the curator’s opinion is. I want someone reading the label to understand that it’s based on historical fact.”
DEI Focus Sparks Backlash
Trump’s criticism extended beyond this caption controversy. In a November speech at the Richardson Symposium, Sajet emphasized themes of identity politics, race, and social justice. She highlighted the gallery’s role in engaging cultural identity conversations, addressing historical and ongoing issues of hatred, discrimination, and alienation in America.
Reflecting on a 1972 Apollo 17 photo symbolizing global unity and optimism, Sajet lamented today’s political climate as among the most “uncivil, mistrustful, racially insensitive, sexually exploitative, [and] factually untruthful” in modern history.
She also defended contentious curatorial choices, such as keeping on display the portrait of transgender activist Sylvia Rivera and resisting calls to remove depictions of divisive historical figures like Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood.
“The National Portrait Gallery is all about identity politics,” Sajet acknowledged.
Trump’s Broader Campaign to Eliminate DEI
Sajet’s firing fits within a wider Trump administration effort to dismantle DEI programs across federal agencies. On Inauguration Day, shortly after returning to office, Trump signed an executive order abolishing all such initiatives, labeling them “divisive and ideologically driven.”
This move is part of a broader purge of officials viewed as barriers to the administration’s agenda.
Library of Congress Shake-Up Deepens
The shake-up has not been limited to the Portrait Gallery. Over the past month, two senior officials at the Library of Congress were also abruptly removed: Shira Perlmutter, head of the U.S. Copyright Office, and Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress.
Though the White House has offered no detailed public explanation, insiders suggest both were perceived as resisting directives from Trump’s team.
Looking Ahead
With Sajet’s departure, the Smithsonian Institution—which oversees the National Portrait Gallery—faces mounting pressure to align with the Trump administration’s cultural and political priorities. An official replacement for Sajet is expected to be announced soon, marking a new chapter for the nation’s premier portrait institution.