Fired US Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden speaks out, details abrupt dismissal

Carla Hayden, the first woman and African American to serve as the US Librarian of Congress, revealed she has had no direct contact with the Trump administration over her sudden dismissal in May.

“No one has talked to me directly at all from the White House,” Hayden told correspondent Robert Costa. “I’ve received no communication directly, except for that one email. That’s the only communication,” Hayden said in an exclusive interview with CBS News.

Unceremonious firing via email

Hayden described the abrupt manner in which she was removed from her post, which she held since 2016 after being appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. On May 8, she received a brief email stating: “Carla, 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.”

Asked if her tenure truly ended with “one missive that’s electronic,” she confirmed, “That was it.” Hayden added, “I was never notified beforehand and after.”

White House cites diversity policies as reason

The Trump administration justified the dismissal partly over Hayden’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at the Library of Congress. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on May 10: “There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.”

Leavitt added, “She has been removed from her position, and the president is well within his rights to do that.”

Conservative criticism

Hayden faced political pressure from the conservative advocacy group American Accountability Foundation (AAF), which accused her and other library leaders of promoting children’s books with “radical content” and literature opposing President Trump. Hours before the firing announcement, the AAF called Hayden “woke” and “anti-Trump” on its X account, demanding, “It’s time to get her OUT.”

Legacy and role of the Librarian of Congress

As Librarian of Congress, Hayden oversaw management and policy for the nation’s largest library, which serves Congress and the public with vast collections of books, historical papers, rare artifacts, and archives of presidential and Supreme Court documents.

Her removal marks one of several dismissals of federal officials perceived as misaligned with Trump’s agenda during his second term.