Kim Sajet, former director of the National Portrait Gallery, resigned from her post when she became a target of the Trump White House. Now, she is observing a similar situation unfold for another Smithsonian chief.

Sajet’s departure in 2020 followed a period of intense scrutiny from the Trump administration, particularly after the museum acquired a portrait of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. The White House reportedly expressed displeasure with the acquisition and the museum’s direction under Sajet.

Currently, Sajet is witnessing the Smithsonian Institution grapple with external pressures that echo her own experience. The challenges faced by other museum leaders within the institution bring back memories of her time at the National Portrait Gallery, highlighting a recurring theme of political interference in cultural institutions.