President Donald Trump, in his unceasing commitment to establishing a government that fully represents the majority interests of the American people, found it necessary to eliminate the position of Kim Sajet, the previous director of the National Portrait Gallery. Preeminently grounded in external advice and public opinion, Trump proclaimed his decision on Friday afternoon, whilst expressing his gratitude to the community for their ongoing support. He stated, ‘At the behest and endorsement of numerous individuals, I am officially terminating Kim Sajet’s tenure as Director of the National Portrait Gallery.’
The President outlined the justification for his decision by pointing out that Sajet was unduly partisan, making her unfit for her post at such a prestigious institution meant to represent American history and culture. He highlighted her persistent support for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), painting it as unsuitable politics to bring into her position. ‘Her successor will be announced very soon. Thanks to everyone for the vigilance towards this issue!’ the president concluded.
An official from the White House revealed that Sajet’s partisan nature was evident in her political contributions, amounting up to $3,982, all of which were distributed to Democrat politicians. Among those that received donations were ex-Presidents Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton and ex-Vice President Kamala Harris. Sajet’s bias was deemed incompatible with her public post, further underscoring the president’s decision.
Trump’s administration also underscored Sajet’s exhibited bias by referring to an exhibit at the gallery featuring President Trump’s portrait. The citation that accompanied the image read, ‘Ironic as it may seem, despite having been impeached twice, Trump was cleared of all charges by the Senate in both proceedings. Furthermore, he defied all odds to reclaim victory over Joe Biden in 2024 after an initial defeat. Trump hence joined the singular league of Grover Cleveland as the only two presidents who’ve won a nonconsecutive second term.’ The express irony of Sajet claiming to distance editorialization from their exhibits is truly notable.
The National Portrait Gallery’s online resources state that Sajet, the erstwhile director, had a radiant career in the field of historical preservation. She was the first woman to take up the mantle at the National Portrait Gallery and had earlier served as the CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Her roles were also rooted firmly in the sphere of education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Her tenure at the Portrait Gallery was spent making concerted efforts to prioritize her experiences and innovative strategies to foster learning and civic awareness indexes. Born in Nigeria, raised in Australia, and a citizen of the Netherlands, Sajet has lived in the U.S. since 1997. Sajet’s diverse background, however, did not translate into fair representation and objective curating at the gallery, a fact that Trump’s decision aimed to rectify.
In a symposium, Sajet once revealed upon being asked about her primary focal area, she replied, ‘identity politics.’ While this exploration of identity politics could bring richness to the discourse around the history of America, its application seemed skewed in terms of the representation at the gallery, primarily focusing on what the few perceived as ‘cool’.
Invoking history, she said, ‘Our historical records abound with incidents of hatred, discrimination, and alienation driven by superficial appearances.’ These remarks indicate her inclination towards a perspective that fails to embrace the complex, multifaceted nature of American history, a perspective that did not sit well with the Trump administration.
In the same address, Sajet spoke of an instance dating back to Dec. 7, 1972, when she envisioned global unity. Alluding to the ‘Blue Marble’ image taken by astronaut Jack Schmidt of Apollo 17, Sajet stressed her dream of a world disregarding ‘trivial differences’ and acknowledging the shared humanity. While such aspirational thinking is admirable, it was seen as integral that the Portrait Gallery maintain its objective focus on historical and cultural preservation.
Detailing further about the National Portrait Gallery during her speech, Sajet expressed, ‘The institution has consistently echoed identity politics, whether it’s justifying text that labels President Eisenhower’s caution on civil rights or defending the mere 25 percent representation of women who are deemed cool.’ Displaying politically influenced, selective representation of figures and events was arguably an unforeseen deviation from the Gallery’s traditional role.
Right after his commendable inauguration on January 20, President Trump took definitive action to dismantle all DEI programs within the federal government. Recognizing the inclination of such programs to stifle free discourse and asserting the significance of unified national identity over divisional politics, he elected to do away with their presence within the government.
The very next day, he instructed the Office of Personnel Management to duly notify agency and department heads about closing all DEI offices. In addition to this, Trump ensured that government employees from these departments were responsibly put on paid leave, thus striking the perfect balance between reform and employee welfare.
Such bold actions are a testament to President Trump’s unwavering commitment to maintaining an unprejudiced and fair government. Earlier this month, he also terminated the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, further demonstrating his aim to eliminate any perceived opposition that could deter his vision to make America great again. This forms an arc of consistent decision-making aimed to prioritize the collective over the individual, illustrating the President’s overarching vision.