Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden arrives at the presentation of the Gershwin Prize, to be awarded to Joni Mitchell at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington March 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)
But Hayden had come under fire from the conservative advocacy group American Accountability Foundation, which accused her and other library leaders of promoting children's books with "radical" content and literary material authored by Trump opponents.
Earlier Thursday, just hours before the firing was made public, AAF derided Hayden on X as "woke" and "anti-Trump," accusing her of promoting "trans-kids."
"It's time to get her OUT and hire a new guy for the job!" the group wrote.
In a follow-up post on X, the group celebrated news of Hayden's firing, thanking President Trump.
Hayden’s reported firing ignited the fury of prominent Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Jeffries applauded Hayden as "an accomplished, principled and distinguished Librarian of Congress."
"Donald Trump's unjust decision to fire Dr. Hayden in an email sent by a random political hack is a disgrace and the latest in his ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history and turn back the clock," Jeffries said.
President Donald Trump, left, and first lady Melania Trump attend the national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The Library of Congress holds a vast collection of the nation's books and history, which it makes available to the public and lawmakers. It houses the papers of nearly two dozen presidents and more than three dozen Supreme Court justices. It also has collections of rare books, prints and photographs, as well as troves of music and valuable artifacts.
Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian, said he would serve as acting librarian of Congress "until further instruction" in a separate email seen by the AP.
"I promise to keep everyone informed," he wrote to colleagues.
Hayden’s firing comes as the Trump administration has been purging officials seen as not aligning with the president’s agenda – from the Justice Department to the Pentagon and beyond.
Earlier Thursday, Cameron Hamilton, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was fired just one day after telling lawmakers that dismantling the agency – as President Trump has proposed – is a bad move.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Library of Congress for additional details.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-erupt-after-trump-fires-librarian-congress-a-disgrace