Trump Library of Congress Takeover Sparks Power Clash \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump’s sudden dismissal of top Library of Congress officials has ignited a constitutional battle over control of the legislative branch’s historic institution. Lawmakers are pushing back, citing potential violations of the separation of powers. Some suspect the move may be tied to a brewing fight over copyright and artificial intelligence.
Quick Looks
- Trump abruptly fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
- DOJ officials tapped as replacements face legislative resistance.
- Library holds critical data on copyright, employees, and Capitol Hill.
- Congressional leaders call the executive move “unprecedented overreach.”
- Lawmakers say only internal officials can fill the acting librarian role.
- Copyright Office’s recent AI report may be a key trigger.
- Hayden’s firing followed criticism of DEI and children’s books.
- Senate Majority Leader Thune negotiates potential compromise with White House.
- DOJ’s Todd Blanche appointed as acting librarian by Trump.
- Library asserts veteran official Robert Newlen remains in charge.
- DOGE tries to insert teams into legislative branch agencies.
- Copyright Office report challenged tech use of protected content.
- Link suspected between Trump’s move and Elon Musk’s AI firm.
Deep Look
It’s no longer about the books.
President Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, along with attempts to install loyalists in senior positions, has triggered a high-stakes clash over the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. At its core, the conflict raises critical questions about presidential authority, constitutional boundaries, and even the future of artificial intelligence policy.
The Library of Congress, traditionally a nonpartisan, legislative-run institution, is now the epicenter of a dramatic and highly unusual power struggle. Trump’s moves have been described by lawmakers as a brazen attempt to extend executive power into the legislative domain, with potential long-term implications for the balance of U.S. government authority.
While often known for housing the world’s largest book collection, the Library is also home to vast stores of confidential data, including Congressional Research Service reports, legislative employee payrolls, and sensitive HR complaints managed by the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Its Copyright Office, which registers and protects intellectual property, could be central to future litigation over the use of copyrighted content in artificial intelligence systems.
After firing Hayden by email with just one year left in her term, Trump named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former defense attorney for the president, as the interim Librarian of Congress. Two other DOJ officials — Brian Nieves and Paul Perkins — were assigned to senior library posts. But when they attempted to access the U.S. Copyright Office earlier this week, Capitol Police were called and they left without confrontation.
The appointments were immediately met with resistance from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that Congress was “not entirely” consulted prior to Hayden’s dismissal. Lawmakers worry about the precedent of allowing executive appointees to control a legislative agency, especially one charged with nonpartisan analysis and housing sensitive data.
“This egregious overreach into the legislature by the executive branch is just unwarranted and, we believe, unprecedented,” said Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), ranking member of the House Administration Committee, which oversees the library.
By law and past practice, an acting librarian should be appointed from within the institution’s leadership. Robert Newlen, principal deputy librarian, has informed staff he will act in that role unless directed otherwise by Congress. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) echoed that position, saying:
“Newlen is the acting librarian. That’s my understanding.”
But a White House official, speaking anonymously, insisted that Trump had every right to appoint Blanche, citing alleged concerns with Hayden’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and the curation of “inappropriate” children’s books.
Adding fuel to the fire, officials from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — a Trump-created agency — have reportedly tried to gain access to various legislative branch offices, including the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Emails reviewed by the Associated Press show DOGE was rebuffed in each instance, with officials citing their immunity from executive orders targeting federal agencies.
Underlying this crisis, however, may be a deeper motive: control of the Copyright Office and its position on AI and intellectual property rights. Just one day before she was fired, Copyright Office Director Shira Perlmutter released a scathing report questioning whether tech companies can legally scrape copyrighted material to train artificial intelligence models.
The report warned that such practices may violate fair use protections, especially when AI-generated content competes directly with human-created works. Insiders estimate that the copyrighted material housed in the Library could carry potential infringement liabilities exceeding $1.5 trillion, should unauthorized AI use be proven unlawful.
Morelle pointed out the timing:
“Her firing came one day after, and I doubt there’s any coincidence to this, a report that stands in contrast to what Elon Musk and others want to do around intellectual property.”
Musk, a known Trump confidant, operates xAI, an AI startup positioned to benefit from broader allowances for data scraping. The White House has not denied Musk’s influence on AI and tech policy, but declined to comment specifically on the alleged link to the Library of Congress firings.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is also at the heart of lawmakers’ concerns. A nonpartisan agency that responds to approximately 75,000 annual requests from lawmakers, CRS provides analysis critical to policymaking. Under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, these discussions are shielded from outside interference — and lawmakers fear executive appointees could try to influence or access them.
Hope O’Keeffe, former associate general counsel at the Library, warned that executive meddling would “substantially undercut” CRS’s value:
“Its utility and trustworthiness would be diminished if the administration tried to shape its work.”
While Trump’s defenders argue the president can appoint a new librarian subject to Senate confirmation, legal experts note that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act cited by DOJ officials only applies to executive branch roles — a key point of contention.
With no resolution in sight, negotiations between Congress and the White House are ongoing, and both branches appear to be entrenched in their positions. Experts warn that how this battle ends could set a precedent for the autonomy of legislative institutions for years to come.
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