The President of the United States, Donald Trump, unexpectedly dismissed Carla Hayden from her position as Librarian of Congress on Thursday, as the White House continues to remove individuals perceived as opponents of the president and his agenda.
Hayden was informed of her termination in an email late Thursday from the presidential personnel office, as reported by an email obtained by the Associated Press.
Since her appointment by the Senate in 2016, Hayden has been notable as the first woman and the first African American to hold the role of Librarian of Congress.
The message began with, “Carla, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I write to inform you that your position as Librarian of Congress is no longer in effect immediately. Thank you for your service,” and a spokesperson from the Library of Congress confirmed that Hayden had been notified of her removal.
Hayden, whose ten-year term was set to conclude next year, faced backlash from a conservative advocacy group that accused her and other library leaders of promoting children’s books characterized as “extreme” and literary materials written by Trump’s opponents.
This unexpected move by Trump has sparked outrage among congressional Democrats, who were the first to reveal her dismissal.
Representative Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut, the leading Democratic member of the House Appropriations Committee, stated that Hayden had been “harshly dismissed” by Trump and called for an explanation from the administration regarding the reasons for her removal.