Trump Targets Biden-Era Appointees, Including Doug Emhoff, in Holocaust Museum Board Shake-Up.
Former U.S. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff has been removed from the board of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., following actions taken by the Trump administration to appoint new members whose views on Israel align more closely with their stance.
Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, was among several Biden-era appointees dismissed by President Donald Trump. The board, known as the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, plays a key role in guiding the museum’s operations and setting policy.
In a statement posted on X, Emhoff expressed his disappointment. “Today, I was informed of my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council,” he said. “Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. Turning one of the worst atrocities in history into a divisive issue is harmful and dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by the Nazis, a memory the museum was created to preserve.”
Emhoff, who is Jewish, was appointed to the council in January for a five-year term. Before this role, he served on President Joe Biden’s White House task force on antisemitism, which was established after a rise in antisemitic incidents following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Several other notable figures from the Biden administration were also removed from the board, including Ron Klain, former Chief of Staff to President Biden; Tom Perez, former White House adviser; Anthony Bernal, former adviser to First Lady Jill Biden; and Susan Rice, former National Security Adviser under President Obama, according to a White House official.
A termination email obtained by The New York Times revealed that board members were informed of their removal “effective immediately” by the White House Presidential Personnel Office. The message, brief and to the point, ended with, “Thank you for your service.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision, adding that President Trump plans to appoint new board members who are “steadfast supporters of the State of Israel.” “President Trump looks forward to appointing individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust but also stand strongly with Israel,” Leavitt said in a statement.
Opened in 1993, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered institution. Its board typically includes bipartisan appointees who serve staggered five-year terms.
