The first woman and first African American to serve as the US Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, has revealed she received no communication beyond a 31-word email informing her of her firing by Donald Trump in May. In her first interview since being removed, Hayden said bluntly:
"No one has talked to me directly at all from the White House," she told CBS News Sunday Morning’s Robert Costa. "I’ve received no communication directly, except for that one email. That’s the only communication."
Her words shine a light on the cold and abrupt manner in which she was let go from the prestigious role she was confirmed to by the Senate in 2016.
Hayden was targeted by a conservative watchdog group, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF), which accused her and other library officials of pushing "radical content" in children’s literature and supporting works by Trump critics. The group had publicly vowed to purge federal institutions of anyone who didn’t fit the mold of Trump’s rightwing agenda.
Then, on May 8, Hayden received a stark message:
"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."
When asked by Costa if her historic tenure really ended with just one cold email, she replied:
"That was it."
She added, "I was never notified beforehand and after."
Hayden joins the growing list of federal officials ousted by Trump during his second presidency for not aligning with his political vision. Just hours before the firing went public, the AAF lashed out on X, labeling her “woke” and “anti-Trump”, adding, “It’s time to get her OUT.”
The backlash was swift and loud from Democratic lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Hayden as a “trailblazer, a scholar, and a public servant of the highest order.”
Representative Joseph Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, didn’t hold back either, calling Hayden “an American hero."
“She’s spent her life serving the public – from helping children learn to read to protecting our nation’s most valuable treasures,” Morelle emphasized.
The Library of Congress, located just across from the US Capitol in Washington, DC, houses a massive collection of American literature and history. It’s a national repository, preserving everything from presidential papers and Supreme Court documents to rare books, music, and artifacts.
In 2022, Hayden made headlines when she invited pop icon Lizzo to perform on one such artifact – a crystal flute once owned by James Madison, the fourth US president.