Eisenhower Library Director Resigns Over Sword Gift
Todd Arrington, director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas, resigned this week after refusing State Department requests to remove an original Eisenhower sword from the library collection to be given as a gift during President Trump’s state visit to King Charles III. The dispute — involving First Lady Melania Trump’s selection of gifts, State Department gift compilations, and West Point ultimately supplying a replica — prompted internal friction and highlights federal stewardship and NARA oversight issues amid a partial government shutdown.
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Government
🔍 Key Facts
- Todd Arrington resigned this week as director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas.
- The dispute centered on a State Department/First Lady request for an original Eisenhower sword to give King Charles III during the Sept. 17, 2025 state visit; West Point supplied a replica instead.
- NARA oversight context: Marco Rubio is serving as acting archivist and both NARA and the Eisenhower library were operating with limited staff because of a partial federal shutdown.