President Donald Trump has removed several of former President Joe Biden’s appointees from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, including Doug Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris and a leading figure in the Biden administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism.

Emhoff, who is Jewish, sharply criticized the move. “Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized,” he said in a statement. “To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous — and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.”

Also dismissed were key Biden allies including former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and former Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice, who was a central architect of the 2023 National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism — the first comprehensive plan of its kind in the United States.

The White House has not yet issued a response to the dismissals.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Council oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and appointments to the council are often viewed as symbolic commitments to Holocaust education and remembrance. While council positions are typically replaced during transitions between administrations, the removal of prominent figures directly tied to national antisemitism policy has drawn swift backlash from some quarters.

As of now, the Trump administration has not publicly offered an explanation for the dismissals.

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