Last week, President Donald Trump fired Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained why in a press briefing:
Reporter: The president fired the librarian of congress. Why?
Leavitt: There were concerning things she had done at the library of congress in the pursuit of D.E.I. And putting inappropriate books in the library for children. pic.twitter.com/ag0rQZeWcA
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 9, 2025
One of Hayden’s moves was to allow entertainer Lizzo to play James Madison’s crystal flute in 2022. At the time, Lizzo was wearing next to nothing, and she twerked while holding the 200-year-old musical instrument.
The Library of Congress handed over James Madison’s 200-year-old crystal flute to Lizzo and she proceeded to stick out her tongue and shake her butt while playing it.
“I just twerked and played James Madison’s crystal flute from the 1800s!” pic.twitter.com/xBSdediRq9
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 28, 2022
On Monday, staff prevented Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s appointee to head the Library of Congress, from doing his job. The Post Millennial reports:
Blanche sent two Justice Department Officials over to the Library of Congress on Monday with a letter letting administrators know that Paul Perkins and Brian Nieves would be heading up the US Copyright Office.
Library of Congress staffers refused to let the men in and called US Capitol Police. The library’s General Counsel Meg Williams asked them to leave and told them they would be denied access to the Copyright Office. Staff, the [New York] Times said, “is recognizing Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian who was Dr. Hayden’s No. 2, as the acting librarian until it gets direction from Congress.”
Newlen claims that he’s not going anywhere until Congress intervenes, which means that he’s digging his heels in with the rest of the obstinate staffers.
“Currently, Congress is engaged with the White House, and we have not yet received direction from Congress about how to move forward. We will share additional information as we receive it,” Newlen wrote in an email to Library of Congress staff on Monday. The kicker: Newlen added “acting librarian of Congress” to his email signature.
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Of course, Democratic members of Congress have their panties in a wad over the situation. Reps. Joseph D. Morelle (D-N.Y.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued a whiny statement, which read in part, “It is extremely concerning that Trump sent executive branch officials from the Department of Justice to take over a legislative branch agency.”
“Congress must stand up for Article I of the Constitution and defend the nonpartisan Library and the legislative branch from White House political control,” the statement continued.
On top of all their preening in the highest of dudgeon, Morelle and Padilla want to know what DOGE has been looking at in its investigation of the Library of Congress. These people won’t let up.
Maybe Congress does need to intervene, but until it does, the staff of the Library of Congress needs to allow the president’s nominees in so that they can do their important jobs. If the party situations were reversed, you know the outcry would be deafening.
