White House fires majority members of National Council on the Humanities
The White House on Wednesday fired most members from the National Council on the Humanities, leaving only four of president Donald Trump’s appointees on the body. In a statement, the White House said Trump “is hoping to place members on the board who align more closely with his vision.” It did not provide further details on the reshuffle. The dismissals were first reported by the Washington Post, which cited an email from the Presidential Personnel Office sent to council members informing them their positions were “terminated, effective immediately.”The email read “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Council on the Humanities is terminated, effective immediately”.The council’s website showed that Russell A. Berman, Keegan F. Callanan, William English and Matthew Rose were the only remaining members. The National Council on the Humanities is a 26-member body of scholars and experts appointed by the president for six-year terms. It advises the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities on policies, funding and grant decisions.The council serves as an advisory body to the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Michael McDonald, who took charge as acting chair in March following the exit of Shelly Lowe at the president’s direction, currently leads the agency. As per its website, the agency has disbursed more than $6 billion in grants to museums, historic landmarks, research and educational institutions, libraries, public broadcasters, individual scholars and partner organizations nationwide. Earlier this year, in April, the Department of Government Efficiency cut off millions of dollars in NEH grants. However, a federal judge ruled last month that the move was “unlawful.” Rights advocates have expressed concern over Trump’s repeated attacks on educational and cultural institutions, diversity initiatives, and historic sites, warning that such moves could undermine decades of progress in social inclusion and recognition of critical phases of American history.
