The president has dismissed some members who had been appointed by his predecessor.
President Donald Trump has named replacements for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, including radio personality Sidney Rosenberg and real estate developer Alex Witkoff.
Trump said in a May 6 post on his Truth Social platform that he has named 14 members to the council, which oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, a museum in Washington.
“They are all strong supporters of Israel, and will ensure we, NEVER FORGET,” Trump wrote, referring to making sure people do not forget the Holocaust, which involved the Nazis and those working with them killing some 6 million Jews.
Rosenberg, who hosts shows for 77 WABC, wrote on Instagram that he was grateful for “this once in a lifetime tremendous honor!”
Witkoff, the son of Steve Witkoff, a Trump administration special envoy, said on the social media platform X that he was proud to join the council.
“As a Jewish American, this fight is personal. Antisemitism is rising—we must remember, act, and fight hatred wherever it exists. Never Again must mean NEVER AGAIN,” he said.
Several rabbis, including Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz, were among the other members Trump appointed.
Twelve new members are listed on the website of the Holocaust Museum. It’s not clear why the two other individuals Trump identified are not listed.
Trump in April dismissed Doug Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, and some other Holocaust Memorial Council members who had been appointed by former President Joe Biden.
“President Trump looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Epoch Times at the time.
The dismissals drew criticism, including from Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who wrote in a letter to the president that the move amounted to “using institutional power to punish dissent, erase opposing views, and recast history through the lens of political expediency.”
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,” Emhoff said in a statement on social media.
The council was established by Congress in 1980 to oversee the museum and typically features 55 members appointed by the president. Other members come from Congress and federal agencies.
Thirteen members were dismissed by Trump, including former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), and former national security adviser Susan Rice.