Trump Ousts Biden Appointees from U.S. Holocaust Museum Board

Person in suit holding a microphone speaking indoors

President Trump dismisses Biden appointees from Holocaust Memorial Council, including Doug Emhoff, raising questions about the future of Holocaust education and remembrance efforts.

Key Takeaways

President Trump has removed several Biden appointees from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, including Doug Emhoff, former Vice President Harris’s husband.
Emhoff, who is Jewish and led anti-antisemitism efforts, criticized the move as inappropriately politicizing Holocaust remembrance.
Other dismissed council members include former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain and former domestic policy adviser Susan Rice.
The unusual mid-term removals break with the tradition of allowing appointees to complete their five-year terms on the 55-member council.
The dismissals align with a broader pattern of Trump removing Biden appointees across government, including from other cultural institutions.

Presidential Authority Reshapes Holocaust Museum Leadership

In a significant administrative action, President Donald Trump has dismissed several appointees of the Biden administration from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Among those removed are Doug Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain, former domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, and Jill Biden’s senior adviser Anthony Bernal. The council, established by Congress in 1980, serves as the governing body for the Holocaust Memorial Museum and consists of 55 presidential appointees who typically serve five-year terms.

The dismissals represent a departure from the traditional practice of allowing appointees to complete their terms regardless of which administration appointed them. This approach has historically been viewed as important for maintaining continuity in the council’s work of Holocaust education and remembrance. The White House has not issued an immediate statement explaining the rationale behind these changes, leaving observers to speculate about the administration’s intentions for the direction of the museum.

Breaking News: The Trump administration fired Joe Biden appointees, including Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board. https://t.co/taMiRiejij

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 29, 2025

Emhoff Responds to Dismissal

Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish and has been a vocal advocate in the fight against antisemitism, responded to his dismissal with concern about politicizing Holocaust remembrance. He emphasized that the Holocaust Memorial Council should remain above partisan politics given its solemn mission. His role on the council had been seen as particularly meaningful given his work on antisemitism issues during the Biden administration.

“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,” Doug Emhoff said.

Despite his removal from the council, Emhoff has indicated his continued commitment to Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism. The dismissal of Susan Rice also raises questions about the future direction of antisemitism initiatives, as she played a key role in creating the first comprehensive National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism in 2023, a milestone in the federal government’s approach to addressing rising antisemitism in the United States.

Pattern of Administrative Changes

The Holocaust Memorial Council dismissals are part of a broader pattern of administrative changes since President Trump returned to office. Trump has removed Biden appointees from various government positions, including those typically considered apolitical roles. Similar actions have affected other cultural institutions, including the Kennedy Center board, and commissions such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with some of these changes reportedly facing legal challenges.

While removing appointees from previous administrations is not unprecedented – Biden also dismissed some Trump appointees after taking office in 2021 – observers note that the current wave of removals appears more extensive. The Holocaust Memorial Council, given its mission to preserve the memory of one of history’s greatest tragedies, has traditionally maintained a degree of continuity across administrations, making these changes particularly notable to those who monitor government approaches to Holocaust remembrance.