The Smithsonian has not cracked under Trump’s pressure. He is trying to take command and control. They brushed him off. It’s not working, and it must be making him a little crazier. Here we go, from Raw Story:
The 179-year-old Smithsonian institute shook off President Donald Trump’s attempt to commandeer its board of regents last month when he allegedly “fired” the institution’s National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet.
“The Board of Regents will continue its vigilant, independent oversight of the Smithsonian and its museums to protect their rigorous scholarship and expertise, nonpartisanship, and accuracy, and ensure that the Smithsonian is welcoming to all Americans,” the Smithsonian insisted in a June 9 statement.
Alrighty, there’s a hint of “absolutely not” coming through already. “The Board of Regents will continue,” so they’re starting right away, to tell him that he has no power here. Of course, he doesn’t understand subtlety, so they had to keep going. This just gets better and better.
It added that “all personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board,” and that board secretary Lonnie G. Bunch “has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian.”
In March, Trump signed an executive order ordering the Smithsonian to stop presenting U.S. history as “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed,” despite historians accepting as fact that racism, sexism, and hardship are interwoven throughout U.S. history.
I just had to reread that a couple of times. I think it seems like Agent Orange was *against* that sort of thing. Sooooo he was asking to have it removed? That doesn’t sound like the Flaming Orange Rectum we all know and hate. That sounds … thoughtful. Except they *are* a part of history. But anyhow, moving along here…
In a May 30 follow-up to his attack on the Smithsonian, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had fired Director Kim Sajet after accusing her of being a “partisan person and a strong supporter of DEI [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion], which is totally inappropriate for her position.” He added that he would name her replacement shortly.
Smithsonian leaders deny the meat of Trump’s accusation against the institution, however.
“Since its inception, the Smithsonian has set out to be a nonpartisan institution. As the nation’s museum, the Smithsonian must be a welcoming place of knowledge and discovery for all Americans,” the leaders said in their statement. “The Board of Regents is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence, and we recognize that our institution can and must do more to further these foundational values.”
Hmmmmm. tRump, dude, read the words “free from political or partisan influence” ten or twenty times, so you can have someone explain it to you. How many times have other places, like the courts, told him the same thing? He has no authority there! He may *think* he does, but nope. To continue:
The institution met the news of Sajat’s “firing” with equal esteem—with Sajet continuing her work without interruption, according to The Washington Post.
In a joint statement, Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said Trump “has no authority to fire employees of the Smithsonian Institution — including the Director of the National Portrait Gallery.”
“The dismissal of Director Sajet is unacceptable and has the same legal weight as the President’s prior attempts to undermine the Smithsonian’s independence: absolutely none. Should the White House require a copy of the Constitution, we would be more than happy to provide one.”
Yup, she didn’t even blink – just kept on going on with the day-to-day of her position. I thought the final pieces were from the Smithsonian, but they are not. However, the folks there didn’t bother to do much outside of the statement, and they didn’t need to. They just ignored him. I’ll bet he hates that quite a lot. His Lowness thinks everyone should bow to his will. Well, the Smithsonian and a whole lot more are *not* bowing to his will and are not worried about him. That makes my evil little heart happy. Good day. Thanks for sticking with me!
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Zoomers, if you can help the Little Political Blog That Could keep trekking through cyberspace, we would appreciate it. My medical issues are still ongoing. I need to have a minor operation to remove a skin tumor. The hits just keep on coming, like a ’50s radio station. Thank you for all you do. Ursula
That is the best way to piss him off. Ignore him. That drives any narcissist crazy. Deny him what he wants most.