The director of the National Portrait Gallery has stepped down, two weeks after President Donald Trump singled her out for partisanship and announced in a social media post he was firing her.
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch announced director Kim Sajet’s resignation in a Friday email to staff, obtained by National Review. He said Kevin Gover, the under secretary for museums and culture, will serve as acting director effective immediately.
“This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one,” Sajet said in a message included in the Friday email. “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. The role of a museum director has never been about one individual—it is a shared mission, driven by the passion, creativity, and dedication of an extraordinary team.”
Trump announced he would fire Sajet in a Truth Social post on May 30, in which he called her a “highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.” The president had previously issued an executive order in March in which he said the Smithsonian has come under the influence of a “divisive, race-centered ideology.” Trump directed Vice President J.D. Vance, who is a member of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents by virtue of his office, to spearhead an effort to remove improper ideology from the museums.
“On day one, President Trump made clear that there is no place for dangerous anti-American ideology in our government and institutions,” White House Spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement shared with National Review. “In align 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.”
It remains unclear if the president has any legal authority over personnel decisions at the Smithsonian, which receives part of its budget from congress and the federal government but operates as an independent entity from the executive branch.
The announcement of Sajet’s resignation comes days after the Smithsonian, which oversees more than 20 museums and the National Zoo, issued a statement saying the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution retains control over all personnel decisions. The statement also said the museum would undertake and assessment of the institution and evaluate the need for any changes to policy, procedures, or personnel in order to align with its nonpartisan mission.
“Since its inception, the Smithsonian has set out to be a nonpartisan institution,” the statement said. “As the nation’s museum, the Smithsonian must be a welcoming place of knowledge and discovery for all Americans. The Board of Regents is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence, and we recognize that our institution can and must do more to further these foundational values.”
Bunch said in an internal email to staff Monday that some of Smithsonian’s previous work has failed to align with its role as a nonpartisan institution.
“In recent weeks, important concerns have been raised about partisanship within our institution,” he said. “While the vast majority of our content is rooted in meticulous research and thoughtful analysis of history and facts, we recognize that, on occasion, some of our work has not aligned with our institutional values of scholarship, even-handedness and nonpartisanship. For that, we must all work to do better.”
Asked if Sajet’s resignation was a direct result of the review of personnel and policies initiated Monday, the institution declined to comment.
“Her decision to put the museum first is to be applauded and appreciated,” Bunch said in the staff email. “I know this was not an easy decision. She put the needs of the Institution above her own, and for that we thank her.”