Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., will depart her post following a social media post by President Donald Trump in which he said he had fired her.
Legal experts and art historians have questioned whether Trump has the ability to fire anyone at the Smithsonian Institution, the museum network that operates the National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian affirmed its independence this week, saying that only its secretary and its Board of Regents controls personnel changes. That Board of Regents includes Vice President JD Vance.
It seemed this week that Sajet would remain in her position. The Washington Post reported that she had continued to report to work as usual at the start of the week, and the Smithsonian statement followed shortly thereafter.
But as of June 13, she has departed her post as National Portrait Gallery director, a position she had held since 2013.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch had sent an email to staff that included remarks from Sajet. “This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one,” Sajet said. “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.”
Per the Times report, she did not explicitly mention Trump and his remarks on Truth Social, his social media platform. In his letter to staff, Bunch wrote, “We thank Kim for her service. She put the needs of the Institution above her own, and for that we thank her.”
On Truth Social, Trump claimed that Sajet was “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position,” without elaborating on the meaning of his comments. This week, the Post revealed that the administration had internally outlined 17 times in which Sajet had criticized Trump, whether through her programming or in interviews.
Among those points was a wall text accompanying a portrait of Trump that is exhibited by the National Portrait Gallery. The label mentions Trump’s two impeachments and his “incitement of insurrection” on January 6, 2021. Another point addressed a USA Today piece in which Sajet spoke positively of efforts to expand Black representation within portraiture in museums, saying, “I’m not interested in only having a museum for some people.”
Trump had previously targeted the Smithsonian in an executive order intended to weed out “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” at the 21 museums the network operates alongside libraries, research centers, and a zoo. The executive order focused specifically on exhibitions at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The executive order was issued on March 27, nearly two weeks after NMAAHC director Kevin Young went on personal leave. Young officially left the museum in April.
Trump does not manage the Smithsonian, which this week said in its statement, “All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board.” Moreover, the Smithsonian said it was a “nonpartisan institution.”
“To reinforce our nonpartisan stature, the Board of Regents has directed the Secretary to articulate specific expectations to museum directors and staff regarding content in Smithsonian museums, give directors reasonable time to make any needed changes to ensure unbiased content, and to report back to the Board on progress and any needed personnel changes based on success or lack thereof in making the needed changes,” the Smithsonian said.
The current administration is seeking to defund parts of the Smithsonian network, as the proposed 2026 budget includes the elimination of the planned National Museum of the American Latino and the currently open Anacostia Community Museum, which was founded in 1967 and focuses on Black culture.
Sajet became the first woman ever to direct the National Portrait Gallery when she was appointed in 2013. She was born in Nigeria, raised in Australia, and educated in Australia and the US. She served in high-ranking posts at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Philadelphia Museum of Art before coming to D.C.
