Trump Sacks National Portrait Gallery Director Over DEI Advocacy

President Donald Trump has ousted Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, citing her vocal support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as incompatible with her role. The announcement came via a fiery post on Truth Social, where Trump declared, "She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position." A replacement is expected to be named soon.

Sajet, the first woman to lead the gallery, has been a prominent figure in the art world, previously serving at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Born in Nigeria and raised in Australia, she brought a global perspective to the gallery, emphasizing identity politics in her work. At a recent symposium, she remarked, "America has never been able to separate a person’s appearance from their potential," highlighting the nation’s ongoing struggles with discrimination.

The White House pointed to Sajet’s political donations—nearly $4,000 to Democratic campaigns, including those of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris—as evidence of her partisanship. They also criticized a gallery caption about Trump, curated under Sajet, which noted his two impeachments and 2024 election comeback. Ironically, Sajet once claimed the gallery avoided editorializing, a statement the administration called into question.

This firing aligns with Trump’s broader agenda to dismantle DEI programs across the federal government. On Inauguration Day, he signed an executive order eliminating such initiatives, followed by directives to shutter DEI offices and place their staff on paid leave. Sajet’s dismissal follows similar terminations, including the Librarian of Congress and the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, signaling a sweeping purge of officials perceived as misaligned with Trump’s vision.

Sajet’s exit raises questions about the future of cultural institutions under this administration. Will the National Portrait Gallery shift its focus away from identity-driven narratives, or is this merely a symbolic flex of executive power? Only time will tell, but the brushstrokes of change are already visible.