Library and copyright chiefs fired

Summary

Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on May 8, 2025 and Copyright Office Register Shira Perlmutter on May 10, days after the office released an AI and copyright report. The moves followed his earlier dismissal of the Archivist of the United States, and Perlmutter sued, calling her removal unconstitutional.

What happened

Trump fired Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan on February 7, 2025, then Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on May 8 and Copyright Office Register Shira Perlmutter on May 10, just days after the office released an AI and copyright report. Perlmutter sued, arguing her removal was unconstitutional. On September 10, 2025, the D.C. Circuit issued an injunction allowing Perlmutter to resume her role as Register of Copyrights pending the litigation. The Supreme Court's November 2025 deferral on whether the president may remove the head of the Copyright Office came after that ruling.

Impact on the United States

The firings politicized leadership of the records, copyright, and archives institutions central to copyright policy, public-records integrity, and the nation's archives, threatening their institutional independence.

Documented effects

1. May 2025Librarian of Congress fired May 8; Copyright Register fired May 10 after AI report[1][3]
2. Feb 2025Archivist of the United States dismissed[2]
3. Sep 2025D.C. Circuit issued an injunction on Sept. 10, 2025 allowing Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter to resume her role pending litigation[4]
4. Nov 2025Supreme Court deferred ruling on removing the Copyright Office head (after the D.C. Circuit injunction)[3]
5. Jun 30, 2026Supreme Court denied the administration's stay application on June 30, 2026, leaving Perlmutter in office while her lawsuit continues (not a ruling on the merits)[5][6]

Why this is rated significant

Removing copyright leadership right after an AI report raised concerns about politicizing copyright and records institutions.

Librarian of Congress removal stands; Register of Copyrights Perlmutter restored pending litigation after the Supreme Court denied a stay on June 30, 2026

Corrections & updates [2]

Every change to a fact on this page after publication is logged here, newest first.

1. Sep 29, 2026UpdatedStatus

   On June 30, 2026 the Supreme Court denied the administration's application to stay the D.C. Circuit order, leaving Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter in her post while her lawsuit continues; the Court said the denial is not a ruling on the merits (Supreme Court docket 25A478; CBS News). The Librarian of Congress did not challenge her removal. Status changed from in-effect to partial.[5][6]

   Previously

   in-effect

   Now

   partial (Librarian of Congress removal stands; Register of Copyrights Perlmutter restored pending litigation after the Supreme Court denied a stay on June 30, 2026)

2. Sep 29, 2026ClarifiedSource

   SCOTUSblog article date corrected to Nov. 26, 2025; it also confirms the May 8 and May 10 firing dates and the AI-report timing, so it is now cited alongside the Washington Post (which could not be opened for this review).[3]

Sources [6]