Trump Claims to Fire Portrait Gallery Director Over DEI Support, Authority in Question

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has “terminated” Kim Sajet, director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, citing her support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and labeling her a “highly partisan person.”

According to the Rolling Stone, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am herby [sic] terminating the employment of Kim Sajet… She is a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly.”

It is unclear whether Trump holds the authority to remove Sajet, as the National Portrait Gallery is part of the Smithsonian Institution — an independent trust instrumentality of the federal government. Representatives for the Smithsonian and the gallery did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sajet, the first woman to lead the National Portrait Gallery, has served as director since 2013. Her previous roles include president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and deputy director at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Trump’s post comes amid broader efforts by his administration to reshape major cultural institutions. In February, he named himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, prompting a wave of artist cancellations. The following month, he signed an executive order banning funding for programs within the Smithsonian that he said “degrade shared American values” or promote “anti-American ideology.” He tapped Vice President JD Vance to oversee the policy’s implementation.

The Smithsonian oversees 21 museums and the National Zoo, along with numerous education and research centers. The Portrait Gallery currently includes images of all U.S. presidents, concluding with Kehinde Wiley’s 2018 portrait of Barack Obama and a 2017 photo of Trump. The caption notes Trump’s two impeachments and his historic nonconsecutive return to the presidency in 2024.

In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, Sajet—born in Nigeria and raised in Australia—said she was proud to lead the gallery, calling it a platform for highlighting individuals who “shifted the needle” both in the U.S. and globally.