President Donald Trump has abruptly fired Carla Hayden, the first woman and first African American to lead the Library of Congress. The firing, first reported by the Associated Press, came in an email from the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office late Thursday night.
“Carla,” the message began. “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.”
Hayden, who had been appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate back in 2016, had been slated to finish her 10-year term in 2025. Her dismissal is the latest in what critics are calling a sweeping purge of federal officials who are perceived to be out of step with Trump’s agenda.
Hayden had recently become a target of the conservative American Accountability Foundation, a group known for calling out officials it sees as “anti-Trump.” Just hours before her firing was made public, the group posted on X:
“The current #LibrarianOfCongress Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids. It’s time to get her OUT and hire a new guy for the job!”
That post appears to have been part of the pressure campaign that culminated in her ouster. The group had criticized her for promoting children’s books with what they called “radical” content, including titles by authors known to be critical of Trump.
But the backlash to her firing was swift — and fierce.
“Enough is enough,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on X, adding that Hayden is a “trailblazer, a scholar and a public servant of the highest order.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, called the decision “callous” and demanded answers from the administration.
Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee — the one that oversees the Library — didn’t mince words either.
“Hayden has spent her entire career serving people — from helping kids learn to read to protecting some of our nation’s most precious treasures,” he said. “She is an American hero.”
Hayden’s legacy at the Library of Congress is one of modernization and accessibility. She led efforts to digitize rare collections, expanded outreach to rural communities, and helped bring the institution into the 21st century. Under her leadership, even pop culture got a spotlight — like in 2022, when she invited Lizzo to play President James Madison’s crystal flute from the Library’s collection.
Before her time in D.C., Hayden led the Baltimore library system and earned degrees from Roosevelt University and the University of Chicago. Her supporters say her record speaks for itself.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries summed up the mood of many:
“Donald Trump’s unjust decision to fire Dr. Hayden in an email sent by a random political hack is a disgrace and the latest in his ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history and turn back the clock,” he said.
Hayden’s firing comes amid a string of dismissals across the federal government according to the AP. Just earlier that day, the acting head of FEMA was ousted after expressing opposition to dismantling the agency. At the Pentagon, over half a dozen senior military leaders — including the only two women serving as four-star officers — have been removed in recent months.
