With the second role, Blanche becomes joins other Trump administration officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio juggling multiple posts.
First Black person, female Librarian of Congress fired over DEI
The White House said DEI was the reason for firing Carla Hayden, the first Black person and first female Librarian of Congress.
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is serving a secondary role as acting librarian of Congress.
WASHINGTON – Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is wearing another hat for the Trump administration, taking over as the acting librarian of Congress after the firing of Carla Hayden.
Blanche had been President Donald Trump’s criminal defense lawyer before becoming the second-ranking official inside the Justice Department.
Now Blanche has a second job following Trump’s May 8 ouster of Hayden, the first Black librarian of Congress, over concerns about her focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“We felt she did not fit the needs of the American people,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters May 9. “There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.”
The Library of Congress has nearly 26 million cataloged books in 470 languages, nearly 78 million manuscripts, the largest rare book collection in North America and the world’s largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings.
The library also houses the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan agency which provides background to lawmakers about legislative issues.
Several other Trup administration officials also fill multiple roles.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is serving as the acting national security adviser, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development and archivist of the United States. FBI Director Kash Patel also served briefly as acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That post is now temporarily held by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.