President Donald Trump has removed Carla Hayden from her position as Librarian of Congress, ending her eight-year tenure in a sudden and highly scrutinized dismissal. Hayden, who made history as the first woman and the first African American to lead the Library of Congress, was informed of her termination through an email sent Thursday by Trent Morse, the deputy director of presidential personnel.

CBS News obtained the message, which stated plainly: “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 separate statement from a White House official confirmed that Hayden had been “relieved of her position.”

The abrupt manner of her removal sparked immediate condemnation from top Democratic lawmakers. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sharply criticized the decision, calling it “a disgrace and the latest in [Trump’s] ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history, and turn back the clock.” Jeffries denounced the impersonal email notification as particularly disrespectful, arguing that it symbolized a larger pattern of political hostility toward cultural institutions.

Hayden’s appointment in 2016 under President Barack Obama was widely celebrated. Her leadership at the Library of Congress followed a long career in public service, including 23 years as CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library system in Baltimore. Throughout her tenure, Hayden emphasized the library’s role as an inclusive public resource. In a 2020 interview, she spoke about the personal significance of her position, noting that people of color had once been legally barred from literacy. “It means so much that here is a person of color leading the world’s largest library,” she said.

Prominent Democrats also expressed alarm about the potential implications of her firing. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that the Librarian of Congress should be selected by a bipartisan congressional commission rather than appointed by the president, criticizing what he described as Trump’s “reality-TV approach” to federal leadership roles. Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, called the removal “ignorant” and warned it could undermine U.S. library services, federal research, and intellectual property oversight.

Hayden’s dismissal was not the only major personnel shake-up in Washington this week. Cameron Hamilton, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was also removed from his role. Hamilton was summoned to the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, where Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar and senior Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski delivered the decision, according to reporting from Politico.

The move came just one day after Hamilton testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee. During the hearing, he appeared to contradict Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s recent comments suggesting FEMA could be dismantled and its responsibilities transferred to state agencies—a restructuring President Trump has openly considered. Hamilton warned lawmakers that he believed eliminating FEMA “would not be in the best interests of the American people,” a statement that reportedly put him at odds with the administration’s internal discussions.

Following Hamilton’s dismissal, FEMA confirmed a new leadership arrangement. “Effective today, David Richardson is now serving as the Senior Official Performing the duties of the FEMA Administrator,” the agency said, adding that Hamilton “is no longer serving in this capacity.” Richardson, who has been overseeing the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, will step into the role until a permanent administrator is appointed.

According to Politico, Hamilton—himself a former Navy SEAL—had considered resigning nearly two months earlier as the new administration began staffing decisions but remained after colleagues urged him to stay. The latest shake-up marks the second major leadership purge at FEMA in recent weeks. Shortly after taking office, Trump’s DHS dismissed four FEMA officials for authorizing what the department described as an “egregious” payment covering hotel stays for migrants in New York City. DHS officials told Fox News that the employees had circumvented leadership to approve the payments without proper authority.

The back-to-back firings have intensified debate over the Trump administration’s approach to federal institutions, from national archives and libraries to emergency management agencies. Critics warn that the rapid turnover could disrupt continuity in vital public services, while supporters argue the administration is correcting what they view as bureaucratic mismanagement.

As Washington reacts to both dismissals, the political implications are still unfolding. Hayden’s departure leaves the Library of Congress—one of the nation’s most influential cultural and research bodies—without its longtime leader. Meanwhile, FEMA begins yet another transition at a time when political uncertainty surrounds the agency’s long-term structure and mission.