"Catch ya later," Trump boots out first African-American Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden
Trump terminates the role of the first African-American Librarian of Congress
In a shocking move, President Donald Trump has given the boot to Librarian Carla Hayden, the first woman and African-American to lead the U.S. Library of Congress. The presidential email, circulated by Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich on May 9, 2025, states that Hayden's services are no longer required, effective immediately.
Despite the surprise dismissal, the Library of Congress has yet to comment on the matter. The U.S. Library of Congress houses the largest collection in the world, with over 20 million catalog records for books, manuscripts, audio and visual documents, and other media. Hayden, who has been at the helm since 2016, had a contract that was due to expire next year.
Accusations of indoctrinating children with radical sexual ideologies and being "woke" against Trump reportedly led to the termination. The Trump-aligned research group, American Accountability Foundation, had demanded Hayden's firing, labeling her as a promoter of transgender ideas that do not align with biologically assigned identities.
The move has been met with widespread criticism. Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, labeled the dismissal a disgrace, claiming it's part of a broader attempt to ban books, whitewash American history, and roll back the clock.
Sources: ntv.de, AFP and additional insights indicate this move has been met with controversy, with some viewing it as an attack on Library services and intellectual freedom, while others argue it's a political power move to install a more Trump-aligned figure as head of the prestigious institution.
- In a surprising turn of events, I'm not going to be able to continue as the Librarian of Congress, following President Donald Trump's decision to terminate my services.
- The dismissal of the first African-American and female Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, has sparked criticism, with Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, categorizing it as a disgrace.
- The move to dismiss Hayden, who had been at the helm since 2016, reportedly stemmed from accusations of indoctrinating children with radical sexual ideologies and being "woke" against Trump.
- The American Accountability Foundation, a Trump-aligned research group, had previously demanded Hayden's firing, labeling her as a promoter of transgender ideas that do not conform to biologically assigned identities.
