(Headline USA) President Donald Trump has fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who promoted books with sexual content to children and infamously let obese pop star Lizzo play James Madison’s 200-year-old crystal flute during her tenure.
Hayden was notified in an email late Thursday from the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press. Confirmed by the Senate to the job in 2016, Hayden was the first woman and the first African American to be librarian of Congress.
BREAKING: Trump fires U.S. Librarian Of Congress Carla Hayden, in charge since President Obama appointed her (2016)
She let Lizzo use Madison's flute pic.twitter.com/bxxkAyUWl4
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 9, 2025
“Carla,” the email began. “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. Thank you for your service.” A spokesperson for the Library of Congress confirmed that the White House told Hayden she was dismissed.
Hayden, whose 10-year term was set to expire next year, had come under backlash from a conservative advocacy group that accused her and other library leaders of promoting children’s books with radical content and literary material authored by Trump opponents.
“The current #LibrarianOfCongress Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids,” the group, American Accountability Foundation, said on its X account earlier Thursday, just hours before the firing was made public. “It’s time to get her OUT and hire a new guy for the job!”
👀 Even America’s national library isn’t safe from the woke mob.
Carla Hayden’s tenure at the Library of Congress = a push to indoctrinate America’s children with radical sexual ideologies. pic.twitter.com/CEanuV9ful
— American Accountability Foundation (@Theswampmonitor) May 3, 2025
The unexpected move infuriated congressional Democrats, who initially disclosed the firing.
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Hayden was “callously fired” by Trump and demanded an explanation from the administration as to why she was dismissed.
At a gala Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio joked that he has assumed three other positions in the Trump administration as national security adviser, acting archivist and acting director of the U.S. Agency for International Development. During his remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute event, he said leading the Library of Congress “would be a good job,” then paused and jokingly proposed Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart for the position.
“It is an honor to be here tonight on behalf of the National Archives,” @SecRubio jokes about his 4 admin jobs when he received an award.
“And the Surgeon General … I wanted it. You get a uniform … Library of
Congress —that would be a good job”
1/2 pic.twitter.com/n1itSBJaRE— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) May 8, 2025
“You know what would be good? Library of Congress. That would be a good job,” Rubio said. “Acting librarian Mario Diaz-Balart. Do you want it?”
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
