Who Is Kim Sajet? Donald Trump Fires National Portrait Gallery Director
NewsweekMAY 31
Trump Fires National Portrait Gallery Director
Above: Kim Sajet, Director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Image copyright: Andre Chung/Contributor/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The removal of Director Sajet represents a necessary step to restore traditional American values and eliminate politically motivated ideological influence from national cultural institutions. The National Portrait Gallery should focus on celebrating American greatness rather than promoting divisive narratives about race and identity. Her partisan activities and implementation of DEI programs undermined the institution's core mission.
Democratic narrative
This dismissal marks an alarming intrusion of political control over cultural institutions and threatens the independence of the Smithsonian system. The firing appears to be retaliation against legitimate efforts to make the gallery more inclusive and historically accurate, while the questionable authority used to make such personnel changes raises serious constitutional concerns.