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The Trump administration on Tuesday fired former second gentleman Doug Emhoff from the board that oversees the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, as the president aims to install more “steadfast” Israel supporters at the institution.
Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, was among several Biden administration appointments to the board removed by President Trump.
“Today, I was informed of my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council,” Emhoff said in a statement posted on X. “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.”
Emhoff — who is Jewish and served on former President Joe Biden’s White House antisemitism task force after a startling rise in the scourge after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel — was appointed to the board in January and was slated to serve a five-year term.
Ron Klain, Biden’s former chief of staff; Tom Perez, a former Biden White House adviser; Anthony Bernal, an ex-adviser to former first lady Jill Biden; and Susan Rice, national security adviser to former President Barack Obama, were also recently ousted from the Holocaust museum board, a White House official confirmed.
The New York Times first reported on the firings.
“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council is terminated, effective immediately,” read an email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, informing the board members of their removal, according to the outlet.
“Thank you for your service.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Post that Trump is aiming to replace the ousted board members with stronger supporters of Israel.
“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,” she said in a statement.
English (US)