Trump Dismisses National Portrait Gallery Director over Alleged Advocacy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Firing at the National Portrait Gallery:

In a surprising move, President Donald J. Trump declared last Friday that he's given the boot to Kim Sajet, the director of Washington D.C.'s renowned National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian Institution, a conglomerate of museums Trump's had his eye on since his reinstatement as president, now faces uncertainty over the leadership of this prestigious art museum.

Trump boldly proclaimed his decision on Truth Social, the social media platform owned by the Trump Media & Technology Group, stating, "Effective immediately, I'm kicking out Kim Sajet as the National Portrait Gallery's director. She's a hot-headed, biased individual, hell-bent on pushing DEI agendas that have no place in her position. A replacement will be named shortly."

Insight: Sajet was appointed to the National Portrait Gallery in 2013 by former President Barack Obama and had previously served as president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

The "America's Presidents" exhibition, currently ongoing at the museum, showcases various leaders of the country, including Elaine de Kooning's painting of John F. Kennedy and Gilbert Stuart's depiction of George Washington. According to a past interview with the Guardian, Sajet believed in presenting historical facts without editorializing, stating, "I don't want people to get the sense that they're reading a curator's opinion about a particular person."

Insight: In the same interview, the presentation of Trump's portrait included a caption noting his impeachments, acquittals, and the historic 2024 election comeback.

Trump's announcement did not clarify the reasons behind Sajet's termination, and the National Portrait Gallery has yet to respond to our website's request for comment.

Aside from the National Portrait Gallery, the Smithsonian Institution manages the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, both of which have been singled out by Trump in executive orders focusing on combatting "anti-American ideology" at Smithsonian-run museums.

Insight: In January, Trump issued an executive order aiming to end federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, leading to the winding down of the operations of the Smithsonian's DEI department. The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, directed by Kevin Young, saw an "undetermined leave" shortly after the March executive order and Young officially left his role in April.

The ongoing argument regarding Trump's authority to dismiss employees of the Smithsonian Institution persists, given its complex public-private governance structure, with more than half of its funding coming from federal appropriations, yet internal staffing decisions typically being managed independently.

The curator of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet, believed in presenting historical facts without editorializing, as she stated in an interview with the Guardian.
Trump's decission to dismiss Sajet as the director of the National Portrait Gallery could signal a shift in the museum's focus on fine art and exhibition, possibly reflecting the politics of his administration.
The National Portrait Gallery, being part of the Smithsonian Institution, manages notable art galleries like the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The ongoing absence of Kevin Young, the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, could be linked to Trump's executive orders focusing on combatting "anti-American ideology" at Smithsonian-run museums.
Sajet's removal and the recent events at the National Museum of African American History and Culture could raise questions about the role of politics and policy-and-legislation in the art world, particularly at institutions like the National Portrait Gallery.
The ongoing dispute over Trump's authority to dismiss employees of the Smithsonian Institution necessitates a closer examination of the complex public-private governance structure of the institution, especially given that more than half of its funding comes from federal appropriations.