Donald Trump’s latest attempt to assert control over a major U.S. institution blew up in his face Monday when two of his appointees were physically removed from the Library of Congress.
According to CBS News, the operatives arrived at the Library expecting to take control—but instead, they were “escorted off the premises.”
The chaos followed Trump’s sudden firing of Dr. Carla Hayden on Friday. Hayden, who had served as Librarian of Congress since 2016, was the first woman and first African American to hold the role. Trump moved quickly to replace her with his former hush money trial attorney, Todd Blanche, naming him acting Librarian.
The White House defended the move by accusing Hayden of promoting diversity initiatives and allowing what they called “inappropriate books” in the national collection.
“We don’t believe that she was serving the interests of the American taxpayer well, so she has been removed from her position,” said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. “The President is well within his rights to do that.”
But he’s not.
The Library of Congress is not under the president’s control — it’s part of the legislative branch. Trump has no legal authority to fire the Librarian or appoint a replacement.
The result: two Trump-aligned officials tried to assume control Monday and were immediately shown the door.
CBS’s Weijia Jiang reported that Todd Blanche “has not yet attempted to report for duty” following the failed takeover.
Trump’s power move wasn’t just rejected — it was shut down at the door.
