Former US Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff has been removed from the board overseeing the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., as the Trump administration seeks to appoint new members more aligned with its stance on Israel.
Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, was among several appointees from the Biden administration who were dismissed by President Donald Trump. The board, known as the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, plays a crucial role in guiding the museum’s operations and policy.
In a statement posted on X, Emhoff expressed his dismay and stated that Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. He emphasized the dangers of turning one of history’s darkest chapters into a wedge issue and highlighted the museum’s mission to preserve the memory of the six million Jews murdered by Nazis.
“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, was appointed to the council in January for a five-year term. Prior to his appointment, he had served on President Joe Biden’s White House task force on antisemitism, which was established in response to the surge in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Several other prominent Biden-era officials, including Ron Klain (Biden’s former chief of staff), Tom Perez (former White House adviser), Anthony Bernal (former adviser to Jill Biden), and Susan Rice (former national security adviser under President Obama), were also removed from the board, as confirmed by a White House official.
According to a copy of the termination email obtained by the New York Times, board members were informed by the White House Presidential Personnel Office that their roles had been terminated “effective immediately.”
The brief note concluded with a simple expression of gratitude: “Thank you for your service.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision, stating that President Trump intends to appoint new members who are “steadfast supporters of the State of Israel.”
In a separate statement, Leavitt emphasized President Trump’s commitment to honoring the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust while simultaneously standing firmly with Israel.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, established in 1993, is a federally chartered institution whose board typically comprises bipartisan appointees serving staggered five-year terms.
