Blanche temporarily replaces longtime librarian Carla Hayden.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was temporarily appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as the librarian for Congress.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday confirmed the acting appointment in an email statement to NTD, sister media of the Epoch Times.
The president’s acting appointment means that Blanche will temporarily replace him with the longtime librarian Carla Hayden, who Trump fired on the evening of May 8th. A permanent replacement of that position requires confirmation from the Senate.
Blanche is the lead lawyer representing Trump in his 2024 criminal trial, and the former president has been determined to lie about his business records due to indirect non-secret payments to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, who lost a civil honor loss lawsuit against Trump. Following his research into Blanche’s case, Trump nominated a former lawyer and served as DOJ’s deputy attorney general when he was elected for the second term of the White House.
Hayden was nominated as President Barack Obama on February 24, 2016. Her appointment was confirmed later that year by the US Senate.
White House press chief Caroline Leavitt said Hayden had been fired.
“There was quite a bit about her pursuing DEI at the Library of Congress and placing inappropriate books in libraries for children,” Leavitt told reporters at a May 9 press conference. “She has been removed from her position and the president is within her right to do so.”
The law outlines a maximum ten-year term of office for Congressional librarians, but does not specify statutory restrictions on how long a proxy librarian can serve.
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, holding millions of books, films, audio recordings, photographs and manuscripts in its historic collection.
The recently recorded video with Hayden appeared on social media after Hayden was fired from her role. In the video, posted on May 10, Hayden outlined the importance of the library and said he preserved the country’s most important documents and artifacts. The library also serves as the main research department of the US Congress and the home of the US Copyright Office.
The library is a legislative body, and top Democrats say Trump has no authority to fire that best official.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) said in a statement on May 8 that the role should be appointed by a Congressional Committee and “not by a president who treats federal appointments like reality television awards,” in response to Hayden’s end. Schumer also said Hayden was a pioneer and civil servant who brought truth to the Library of Congress.
Blanche’s appointment comes after two other Department of Justice officials are tapped to play the acting role in the Library of Congress. Blanche’s vice-chief of staff, Brian Neeves, has been appointed deputy librarian for Congress. Associate Deputy Attorney General Paul Perkins was selected to the Copyright Representation Register after Shira Perlmutter was fired from the role on May 10th.
Rep. Joe Morell (DN.Y.), a top Democrat on the House Management Committee, has submitted a letter seeking a review by Library of Congress inspectors on “potential inappropriate access to secret Congressional data” due to the Trump administration and Hayden’s firing.
“The unfounded dismissal of Congressional librarians and the non-gimial removal of the director (of the Copyright Bureau) is an attack on Congressional authority and independence,” Morell wrote on X on May 12th.
The LOC inspector has not yet publicly responded to Morelle’s request.
Hayden’s firing is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to unleash diversity efforts led by unelected federal officials.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order to end the DEI programs and policies imposed under the Biden administration. The president of the January 20th order said Americans deserve a government that promises to serve all individuals with equal dignity and respect, and that they will spend taxpayer resources only on making the country great.
