In brief
Todd Arrington resigned as the director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library following a dispute with the Trump administration regarding the gifting of an original Eisenhower sword to King Charles. Arrington refused to remove the artifact from the library's collection, leading to his resignation. Instead, a replica was gifted to the King during Trump's visit. Arrington stated he faced pressure to resign or be fired, and emphasized his desire to continue his role at the library.
The director of the Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library has stepped down after a dispute with the Trump administration over gifting a sword in its collection to King Charles, according to CBS News.
Todd Arrington, the head of the library in Kansas, resigned on Monday after declining to remove an original sword from the library's collection to give to the King during President Donald Trump's visit to the United Kingdom last month, CBS reported, citing anonymous sources.
Charles was instead gifted a replica during Trump's UK visit, Buckingham Palace said at the time.
In an interview with CBS News, Arrington said he was told to Resign - or be fired.
Apparently, they believed I could no longer be trusted with confidential information, Arrington told CBS News, referring to the sword dispute and an unrelated issue.
US State Department officials sought to gift an Eisenhower sword to emphasize the importance of the US-UK relationship after World War II, but Arrington maintained that they couldn't hand over an artifact that was accepted as a donation. Reports indicate it remains unclear who specifically requested the sword for presentation.
Arrington proposed finding a different gift, including a replica, but State Department officials reportedly insisted on the original sword. Ultimately, the President and First Lady Melania Trump presented a replica during their visit to Windsor Castle in September.
In response to the controversy, Trump administration officials expressed frustration with Arrington, who refuted claims of having made negative comments about Trump or his administration.
Arrington, who directed the Eisenhower library since August 2024, expressed his deep appreciation for his role and mentioned he would gladly return if given the chance, emphasizing his commitment to the library's mission.
