Smithsonian Director Resigns After Trump’s Failed Firing Attempt—Culture War Rages On

The cultural battlefield in Washington just claimed another high-profile casualty.

Kim Sajet, the longtime director of the National Portrait Gallery, has resigned following a failed attempt by President Donald Trump to fire her—part of his widening campaign to root out diversity-focused leadership in America’s flagship cultural institutions.

In a message to staff, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch confirmed Sajet’s resignation, praising her service while offering no endorsement of Trump’s actions. Sajet’s own statement was calm but resolute: “This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one… stepping aside is the best way to serve the institution I hold so deeply in my heart.”

Behind the scenes, the tension has been anything but calm.

Trump Tried to Fire Her. Smithsonian Said No.

Two weeks ago, Trump publicly ordered Sajet’s dismissal, labeling her a “partisan person and a strong supporter of DEI”—referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion—as if that were disqualifying for a museum leader. But the Smithsonian, governed by its own board and shielded from direct White House control, refused to comply. Sajet remained in place—until now.

“This is about ideology, plain and simple,” said a former Smithsonian senior curator, who asked not to be named. “Trump is trying to put culture on a leash.”

Though her resignation appears voluntary, insiders say the pressure was relentless. “It’s hard to do your job when the President of the United States is targeting you by name,” the curator added.

Trump’s Culture Purge Targets the Smithsonian and Beyond

Sajet’s ouster is part of a broader Trump agenda to overhaul how America’s history is told. In March, Trump issued an executive order demanding the Smithsonian stop portraying U.S. history as “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.” The move drew sharp criticism from historians and free speech advocates.

This week, the Smithsonian struck a diplomatic but revealing tone. In a staff email obtained by The New York Times, Secretary Bunch admitted the institution is “re-examining” some of its past content, acknowledging that “on occasion, some of our work has not aligned with our institutional values of scholarship, even-handedness, and nonpartisanship.”

Observers see this as the Smithsonian trying to tread water while staying afloat in political quicksand.

Cultural Institutions Under Siege

The Portrait Gallery isn’t the only landmark Trump has tried to reshape. The Kennedy Center—another D.C. institution long seen as a haven for the arts—is also in Trump’s crosshairs.

Earlier this year, he appointed a far-right loyalist as its new director and vowed to “defund woke theater.” At a recent Kennedy Center performance of Les Misérables, Trump’s appearance from the Presidential Box was met with a chorus of boos—a symbolic moment in an increasingly polarized cultural war.

Sajet, who has led the National Portrait Gallery since 2013, was admired for expanding the museum’s reach and embracing a more inclusive vision of American identity. One of her more controversial statements, according to Trump’s team, came in 2018 during a public summit: “The ‘portrait of America’ has never been only about meritocracy but also social access, racial inequality, gender difference, religious preference, and political power.”

The White House seized on the quote as evidence of “anti-American ideology.” In a statement Friday, Trump spokesperson Davis Ingle said, “President Trump made clear that there is no place for dangerous anti-American ideology in our government and institutions… He ordered the termination of Kim Sajet.”

But Sajet wasn’t a federal employee. And the Smithsonian isn’t under Trump’s direct authority. So he did what he often does when reality doesn’t bend: he declared victory anyway.

A Chilling Signal for Cultural Leaders

Sajet’s resignation sends a stark message to the heads of American museums, libraries, and theaters: your job is safe—until it isn’t. Critics fear Trump’s purge of so-called “woke” leadership will chill academic freedom and push institutions to self-censor in the name of political survival.

“This isn’t about patriotism,” said arts policy expert Camille Reyes. “It’s about control.”

The Smithsonian, founded in 1846 as a gift to the American people, is supposed to be a refuge for knowledge, science, and cultural expression. Now, it’s being dragged into the center of a very modern war over memory—and identity.