President Donald Trump fired Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, on Thursday. She was appointed to her post by President Barack Obama in December 2024. 

Hayden was the first woman and the first Black woman to head the Library. She was named to office in 2016, and her 10-year term was scheduled to expire next year.

Trent Morse, deputy director of presidential personnel, broke the news that she was given the ax.

“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,” Morse repeated.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries was angry about Hayden’s dismissal, which was not explained. “Dr. Carla Hayden is an accomplished, principled, and distinguished Librarian of Congress,” he said.

“Her historic tenure has taken the institution to new heights, and I am thankful for her incredible service,” Jeffries added. 

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, Jeffries stated.

Jeffries continued by saying, “The Library of Congress is the People’s Library. There will be accountability for this unprecedented assault on the American way of life sooner rather than later.”

The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the de facto nationallibrary of the United States. 

It also administers copyright law through the United States Copyright Office. 

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. It is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill, adjacent to the United States Capitol, along with the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in 

Culpepper, Virginia, and additional storage facilities at Fort George G. Meade and Cabin Branch in Hyattsville, Maryland. 

The library’s functions are overseen by the Librarian of Congress, and its buildings are maintained by the Architect of the Capitol. 

It contains 173 million items and employs over 3,000 staff. 

Its collections are “universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, and include research materials from all parts of the world and in more than 470 languages.