The director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library has left his position after resisting a request from the Trump administration to gift a sword from the collection to King Charles III during Donald Trump's recent state visit to the UK, according to US media reports.
Todd Arrington, a historian with decades of federal service, was told to "resign or be fired" on Monday, he told CBS News. The library, part of the National Archives and Records Administration (Nara), is located in Abilene, Kansas, the hometown of former President Dwight D Eisenhower.
The Trump administration had sought to give one of Eisenhower's swords to the King as a symbol of the US-UK relationship and their collaboration during the Second World War. Eisenhower served as Supreme Allied Commander before becoming president in 1953. Ultimately, a replica sword donated by West Point, where Eisenhower began his military career, was presented instead.
Arrington's ouster may also be linked to discussions about a planned education centre at the library, the New York Times reported. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Arrington said he was "devastated" and seeking to reverse the decision. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The departure comes as President Trump asserts unprecedented control over US cultural institutions, including mass firings of traditionally nonpartisan boards.
