President Trump’s decision to fire the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, who had been appointed in 2016 by former President Barack Obama to a 10-year term, enraged Democratic lawmakers, though conservative groups hailed the move as long overdue given they allege she was “woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids.”
But her termination at the end of last week wasn't the end of the drama at the legislative branch’s main research library. On Monday, more fireworks came after Trump named an acting librarian of Congress.
The decision to tap Todd Blanche, his former personal attorney and assistant AG at the Justice Department for the role led to an “instant revolt among the staff,” according to The New York Times.
[S]taff members at the Library of Congress pushed back, insisting that Congress must have input and refusing to give two other top Justice Department officials whom Mr. Blanche chose for senior positions there access to the agency’s headquarters on Capitol Hill, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The lockout led to a brief standoff across from the Capitol and became the latest flashpoint in a battle over where Congress’s authority ends and the White House’s begins. The people who described it did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.
Around 9 a.m., the two Justice Department officials arrived at the library’s James Madison Memorial Building and sought access to the U.S. Copyright Office, which is housed there. They brought a letter from the White House declaring that Mr. Blanche was the acting librarian and that he had selected the two men for top roles at the agency.
They were Paul Perkins, an associate deputy attorney general who the letter said would serve as the acting register of copyrights and the director of the Copyright Office, and Brian Nieves, a deputy chief of staff and senior policy counsel who had been designated as the acting deputy librarian. Mr. Trump also fired the previous director of the Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, over the weekend, one of the people said.
Staff members at the library balked and called the U.S. Capitol Police as well as their general counsel, Meg Williams, who told the two officials that they were not allowed access to the Copyright Office and asked them to leave, one of the people said.
Mr. Perkins and Mr. Nieves then left the building willingly, accompanied to the door by Ms. Williams. The library’s staff is recognizing Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian who was Dr. Hayden’s No. 2, as the acting librarian until it gets direction from Congress, one of the people familiar with the situation said. (NYT)
Newlan emailed staff on Monday informing them that while the White House has named a successor, there is still uncertainty.
“Currently, Congress is engaged with the White House, and we have not yet received direction from Congress about how to move forward. We will share additional information as we receive it,” he wrote, identifying himself as the “acting librarian of Congress.”
When asked about the decision to terminate Hayden, the White House accused her of putting “inappropriate books in the library for children.”
Others recalled how Hayden allowed Lizzo to use President James Madison’s 1813 crystal flute.
BREAKING: Trump fires U.S. Librarian Of Congress Carla Hayden, in charge since President Obama appointed her (2016)
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) May 9, 2025
She let Lizzo use Madison's flute pic.twitter.com/bxxkAyUWl4