In yet another shocking display of power and partisanship, President Donald Trump has fired Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress.
For those unfamiliar with her, Dr. Carla Hayden is a trailblazer — the first woman and the first African American to ever hold the prestigious role of Librarian of Congress, an institution often described as the “People’s Library”; but apparently, her commitment to making knowledge accessible to all was a problem for the Trump administration.
Hayden’s abrupt dismissal was confirmed in an email sent by the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office on Thursday evening. The email, cold, informal, and unpresidential, read: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.” A classic Trumpian approach — no ceremony, no gratitude, just an ax dropped from above.
What did Carla Hayden do to deserve this unceremonious exit? According to the conservative advocacy group American Accountability Foundation (AAF), she was guilty of promoting “woke” content and “radical” children’s books. Translation: she dared to make the Library of Congress a place where diverse perspectives were valued and where American history was shown in all its complexity. AAF’s president Tom Jones went so far as to claim that the Library needed to be brought back in line with an “America First” agenda. Because, apparently, making literature, history, and knowledge accessible to all Americans is now considered radical.
THANK YOU @POTUS!!!!
Woke & radical Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has been fired!
https://t.co/memq7ApcK8
— American Accountability Foundation (@Theswampmonitor) May 9, 2025
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But this is about more than just Carla Hayden losing her job; this decision is a clear continuation of the Trump administration’s broader purge of public servants who don’t align with its agenda. Whether it’s firing FEMA officials who dare to disagree with Trump’s chaotic disaster response strategy or axing high-ranking women at the Pentagon, this administration has shown a consistent pattern: loyalty to Trump is more important than experience, expertise, or public service.
This is particularly troubling given the role of the Library of Congress. This isn’t just any federal agency. It is the largest library in the world, a repository of American history, culture, and knowledge. From the personal papers of U.S. Presidents to rare books, photographs, and artifacts, the Library is a treasure trove of American heritage. Under Carla Hayden’s leadership, it became even more accessible, with initiatives that brought its resources into rural communities and expanded its digital collections, but in Trump’s America, a commitment to inclusion and education makes you a target.
Predictably, Democrats have come out in full force, condemning Hayden’s firing as an attack on knowledge and a blatant attempt to rewrite history. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Hayden “a trailblazer, a scholar, and a public servant of the highest order.” Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro described her dismissal as “callous,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries didn’t mince words, declaring that Trump’s decision was part of his ongoing effort to “ban books, whitewash American history, and turn back the clock.”
My statement on the unjust termination of Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress by a failed President. pic.twitter.com/xjoD8Qc3oq
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) May 9, 2025
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Hayden’s firing is not just a loss for the Library of Congress. It is a loss for every American who believes that knowledge should be accessible to all, that history should be preserved in its fullness, and that a public servant’s duty is to serve the people, not a political agenda. In an era when truth is constantly under attack, the removal of someone who has dedicated her life to making knowledge available to all is nothing short of a national tragedy.
But this isn’t just another story of a qualified woman being shown the door; it’s a message. A nation that allows knowledge to be controlled by politics is a nation doomed to repeat its darkest mistakes, and we are watching history be rewritten in real-time.
If we don’t check Trump’s overreach now, the next purge may not just target librarians — it may target our very right to know, to learn, and to think for ourselves.
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