CNN
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The Trump administration dismissed former second gentleman Doug Emhoff and other Biden-era appointees from the board that oversees the US Holocaust Memorial Museum on Tuesday, sources familiar with the matter said.
“I was informed of my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council,” Emhoff, who is Jewish, said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous — and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.”
“No divisive political decision will ever shake my commitment to Holocaust remembrance and education or to combatting hate and antisemitism. I will continue to speak out, to educate, and to fight hate in all its forms — because silence is never an option,” Emhoff added.
Emhoff took on an elevated role in fighting antisemitism after the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, telling CNN last year, “I know I have an obligation to our Jewish community as the first Jewish person in this role.”
Mary Sprowls, who works in the White House Presidential Personnel Office, informed some board members who were appointed by former President Joe Biden of their dismissal by email Tuesday.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council is terminated, effective immediately,” Sprowls wrote in an email obtained by CNN. “Thank you for your service.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “President Trump looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel.”
Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain; Anthony Bernal, a senior adviser to former first lady Jill Biden; Jennifer Klein, a former director of the White House Gender Policy Council; and Susan Rice, who served as a domestic policy adviser to Joe Biden and helped develop his administration’s strategy to combat antisemitism, were among the other Biden appointees who were fired from the board, sources familiar with the matter said.
Emhoff, Bernal, Klain, Klein and Rice were appointed to the US Holocaust Memorial Council, which serves as the board of trustees for the museum, in January.
Not all Biden-era appointees have received emails notifying them of their dismissal, according to one Biden appointee who sits on the board.
The New York Times first reported on the dismissals.
“At this time of high antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial, the Museum is gratified that our visitation is robust and demand for Holocaust education is increasing. We look forward to continuing to advance our vitally important mission as we work with the Trump Administration,” the museum said in a statement Tuesday.
Sen. Jacky Rosen, who serves on the council, criticized the Trump administration’s removal of board members, saying it is “an attempt to politicize an institution dedicated to remembering one of the worst atrocities in our history and hurts our efforts to educate future generations.”
“Spreading awareness and educating the American public about the horrors of the Holocaust cannot and should not be a political issue,” the Nevada Democrat said in a statement.
