The director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library resigned this week under pressure following a dispute with the Trump administration over providing an original Eisenhower sword as a gift to King Charles III during President Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom last month.
Todd Arrington, a career historian who previously held positions with the National Park Service and National Archives and Records Administration, said he stepped down Monday as director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home after being told to “resign or be fired.”
In an interview with CBS News, Arrington said officials believed he could no longer be trusted with confidential information, specifically citing matters “about the sword” and an unrelated issue. The 52-year-old director had resisted removing an original Eisenhower sword from the library’s collection to present to the British monarch during Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom.
Four U.S. officials involved in the royal visit were unaware the library director had left his position and said the White House played no role in his departure. However, sources indicated that some in the Trump administration were unhappy with Arrington’s handling of the gift selection process.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement last month indicating Charles received a replica sword rather than an original artifact, noting the gift “symbolizes profound respect and is a reminder of the historical partnership that was critical to winning World War II.” The palace declined further comment on the specific sword provided.
Former Army General Eisenhower possessed several swords throughout his distinguished military career, including a Sword of Honor presented by the city of London in 1947 for his role as allied supreme commander during World War II, an honor saber gifted by the Netherlands in 1947, and his West Point officer saber.
Officials at the State Department compiled gift options for the first couple and sought an Eisenhower sword to emphasize the significance of the U.S.-U.K. relationship since World War II, sources said. First lady Melania Trump personally selected gifts for Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their children, according to a senior administration official.
Arrington argued against donating an artifact that had been accepted as a gift to the library and had become property of the American people. He told officials he could help identify alternative gifts, but sources indicated State Department officials persisted in requesting an original artifact. The library’s team offered to assist in locating a replica.
West Point ultimately provided a Cadet Saber from the military academy for presentation to King Charles. Arrington said he never communicated with White House officials, only with personnel in the Foreign Gift Office at the State Department and colleagues at the National Archives.
Two sources close to the matter said conversations before the U.K. trip about finding a substitute for an original sword remained polite and tension-free, with no one expressing anger to Arrington about being unable to provide a museum piece.
One administration official claimed Arrington was believed to have spoken critically about the president and administration, allegations Arrington strongly disputes. “That is 100 percent incorrect,” he said. “I never said a bad word about anybody. I talked to colleagues about trying to find a sword or artifact, something we could give to them for the president to give to the King, and at no time did I disparage anyone.”
Arrington emphasized that if someone in the administration accused him of disparaging the Trump administration, such concerns were never communicated to him directly.
The White House plays no formal role in hiring or firing directors of presidential libraries within the National Archives system. The archivist of the United States, who oversees NARA, holds responsibility for hiring library directors. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is serving as acting archivist, while James Byron, a senior adviser to the archivist, manages day-to-day NARA operations.
Arrington began serving as director of the Eisenhower library in August 2024. The Abilene, Kansas facility is one of 16 presidential libraries or museums operated by NARA, including those planned for President Trump and former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Eric Trump announced this week that his family plans to construct the Trump library and museum in Miami.
Arrington indicated another reason cited for his removal involved construction of a new building for the nonprofit Eisenhower Foundation on the library grounds, though he did not elaborate on specific concerns.
Neither NARA nor the Eisenhower library responded to requests for comment. Both entities began operating Wednesday with limited staffing due to the federal government shutdown.
Arrington said he is less than five years from retirement eligibility and hopes to secure a position at a different federal agency. However, he expressed deep attachment to his former role.
“If there’s any way for it to happen, I’d return to this job in a heartbeat,” Arrington said. “I love the job, I love the people, I love the history. I never in a million years wanted this to happen.”
The resignation highlights tensions between career federal employees managing historical collections and political appointees seeking to utilize those artifacts for diplomatic purposes. Presidential libraries operated by the National Archives maintain collections that belong to the American people, creating potential conflicts when requests arise to transfer original artifacts as gifts.
The dispute reflects broader questions about appropriate use of presidential artifacts held in public trust and the balance between preserving historical materials and leveraging them for contemporary diplomatic objectives.
Arrington’s departure marks an unusual personnel change at a presidential library, institutions typically insulated from political pressures despite their connections to specific administrations. The circumstances surrounding his resignation may raise concerns among archivists and historians about potential political interference in management of presidential collections.
CBSNEWS
