Two weeks after President Donald Trump claimed he’d fired her because she’s a “highly partisan person,” the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery director, Kim Sajet, announced she was stepping down.
In a memo sent to staff Friday, first obtained by The New York Times, Sajet didn’t address Trump’s attacks but said she believed this was the right move for the museum.
“This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one,” she said in a memo sent out by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch. “From the very beginning, my guiding principle has been to put the museum first. Today, I believe that stepping aside is the best way to serve the institution I hold so deeply in my heart.”
Bunch praised Sajet, saying she “put the needs of the Institution above her own, and for that we thank her.”
In late May, Trump announced on social media that he was “terminating” Sajet, who’d held the position for 12 years and was the first female director of the National Portrait Gallery.
“She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position,” the president wrote, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Trump’s authority to fire Sajet from the Smithsonian, which is not part of the executive branch, immediately came into question, and Sajet continued to show up to work through Friday.
The House Administration Committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.), and the House Appropriations Committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), released a joint statement last week saying Trump had “no authority” to fire anyone from the Smithsonian.
“The dismissal of Director Sajet is unacceptable and has the same legal weight as the President’s prior attempts to undermine the Smithsonian’s independence: absolutely none,” the lawmakers said. “Should the White House require a copy of the Constitution, we would be more than happy to provide one.”
The Smithsonian’s Board of Regents backed up that position, saying Monday that all personnel decisions are directed by Bunch, who “has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.”
The board includes several lawmakers, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, and Vice President JD Vance.
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The White House acknowledged Sajet’s departure Friday, with spokesperson Davis Ingle saying in a statement: “On day one, President Trump made clear that there is no place for dangerous anti-American ideology in our government and institutions. In align[ment] with this objective, he ordered the termination of Kim Sajet. The Trump Administration is committed to restoring American greatness and celebrating our nation’s proud history.”
In March, Trump issued an executive order banning federal spending on any Smithsonian exhibits that “divide Americans based on race.”
Sajet has not issued any public statements about the order.
In a December interview with The Guardian, Sajet ― who was born to Dutch parents in Nigeria and raised in Australia ― spoke about her “great love” for the U.S. and its cultural influence on the rest of the world, calling it a “tremendous gift.”
“If anything, I don’t think Americans realize how much impact they have across the globe,” she said, adding: “Sometimes I think Americans look inward so much and they fail to see what an impact they have across the world.”