U.S. President Donald Trump fired several members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum board, including Doug Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, the former U.S. vice president.
“Today, I was informed of my removal from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council,” Emhoff stated on Tuesday. “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 6 million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve,” he added.
Democratic Majority for Israel said Trump made the “inappropriate decision” on “the eve of Israel’s Memorial Day.”
“Choosing this day to remove public servants from the board shows again a troubling lack of awareness of history,” the group stated. “This is a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Israel’s sovereignty. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum should be a place that is above petty politics, period.”
Trump also reportedly removed Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff under Biden, and Susan Rice, a former U.S. national security advisor to Biden, as well as Anthony Bernal, a senior adviser to Jill Biden, the former first lady.
At press time, all four remained listed on the museum website.
“At this time of rising antisemitism, it is despicable that Trump would use a hallowed institution like the Holocaust Museum to take cheap shots at his perceived political enemies,” stated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
“President Trump looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel,” stated Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary.
