Trump Fires Museum Chief Over ‘Woke’ Agenda

In recent years, museums have become part of a larger cultural debate in the U.S.

Some say they should focus only on history and art. Others believe they must also reflect modern values and social issues.

This tension came to the surface again after a high-profile firing in Washington, D.C.

Former President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he has fired Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, according to Ziare.

The gallery is part of the Smithsonian Institution, a group of museums and research centers that has drawn criticism from Trump since he returned to office in January.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns.

He wrote that Sajet is “an extremely partisan individual” and a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion programs.

He said this made her unfit to lead a museum funded by the federal government. He added that her replacement would be announced soon.

Sajet had served as director since 2013. Before that, she worked at major institutions in Pennsylvania.

Under her leadership, the gallery expanded its collection and reached broader audiences.

One of the museum’s most well-known exhibits is “America’s Presidents,” which features portraits of every U.S. president.

The display includes a portrait of Trump himself, along with a label that notes his two impeachments and his political comeback in 2024.

Last year, Sajet told The Guardian that she wanted museum labels to focus on facts, not the opinions of curators.

But Trump’s allies have accused some Smithsonian exhibits of promoting a political agenda.

In March, Trump signed an executive order targeting what he called “anti-American ideology” in federal museums.

He claimed the Smithsonian had embraced ideas that cast American values in a negative light.

As a result, the Institution began scaling back its diversity programs. Another museum director, Kevin Young of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, quietly went on leave and later stepped down.

Now the future of the National Portrait Gallery—and how it tells America’s story—looks uncertain.

Trump’s next pick for director may help shape how history is presented in the years to come.