Doug Emhoff, the husband of former US Vice President Kamala Harris, has condemned his removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council as a “divisive political decision” after being dismissed by the Trump administration on Tuesday.
The former second gentleman, who is Jewish and led the Biden administration’s antisemitism strategy, said the move risked turning “one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue”.
“Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicised,” he wrote in a public statement. “To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous, and it dishonours the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.”
Emhoff was one of several Biden-appointed trustees removed from the museum’s governing body, including former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former UN ambassador Susan Rice, and ex-labour secretary Tom Perez. Many of those ousted had been named to the council in January, appointments that traditionally span five-year terms.
The firings follow a broader pattern of President Trump reshaping cultural institutions. In February, he dismissed board members from the Kennedy Centre and named himself chair. A White House email sent to dismissed council members reportedly stated, “Your position… is terminated, effective immediately.”
Despite his removal, Emhoff pledged to continue his advocacy. “No divisive political decision will ever shake my commitment to Holocaust remembrance and education or to combatting hate and antisemitism,” he said. “I will continue to speak out, to educate, and to fight hate in all its forms, because silence is never an option.”
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which is overseen by the council, responded to the shake-up affirming its mission: “At this time of high antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial, the Museum is gratified that our visitation is robust and demand for Holocaust education is increasing… We look forward to continuing to advance our vitally important mission as we work with the Trump Administration.”
The dismissals come just one day before Harris is set to deliver a major speech in San Francisco, her first since leaving office.
