The director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library has left his post after reportedly resisting a request from the Trump administration to gift a sword from the collection to King Charles III during the president's recent state visit.
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, is located in Abilene, Kansas.
The Trump administration had sought to give one of Dwight D Eisenhower's swords to King Charles as a symbol of US-UK relations and their World War Two collaboration. However, the administration ultimately presented a replica sword donated by West Point, where Eisenhower began his military career.
Arrington's ouster may also be linked to discussions about a new education centre at the library, according to The New York Times. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Arrington said he was "devastated" and trying to get his job back.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The incident comes as President Trump asserts unprecedented control over US cultural institutions, with mass firings of traditionally nonpartisan boards.
