Overview

• President Trump announced the firing of Kim Sajet, who led the National Portrait Gallery since 2013 as its first female director, accusing her of partisan support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
• The dismissal continues Trump’s broader push to eliminate DEI initiatives after his February executive order ended federal DEI offices and his March order targeted 'divisive narratives' in Smithsonian museums.
• Legal observers note uncertainty over whether the president can remove a Smithsonian administrator, since senior appointments typically fall under Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and the institution operates as a public-private partnership.
• Under Sajet’s tenure, the gallery added contextual labels to presidential portraits, including noting Trump’s impeachments and acquittals—an inclusion the president deemed inappropriate.
• A successor has not yet been named, with the administration indicating a replacement announcement is forthcoming as Trump presses to reshape national cultural bodies.