President Trump named Jim Byron, the president and CEO of Richard Nixon Foundation, to a senior archivist role at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
In a post Sunday on Truth Social, Trump said he was pleased to announce Byron would be serving as “Senior Advisor to our Acting Archivist, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).”
“Jim will manage the National Archives on a day-to-day basis, while we continue our search for a full-time Archivist,” Trump posted. “Jim has worked with the National Archives for many years, and understands the great responsibility and duty we have to preserve the History of our Great Country.”
Shortly before taking office, Trump said he would be replacing the NARA leader. According to federal law, the president has the power to fire the archivist but must tell Congress the reasoning for removal.
Trump dismissed Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan, the first woman to lead NARA, last week.
Earlier Sunday, it was reported by The Washington Post that the acting archivist and several senior staff members at NARA resigned. It’s the latest in agency shake-ups as Trump looks to restructure the federal government and its spending.
Acting archivist William Bosanko and the agency’s inspector general, Brett Baker, decided to retire after Trump’s team made it clear the leadership team would be getting an overhaul, the Post reported.
The outlet noted that NARA oversees the country’s important founding documents and oversees presidential libraries. It certifies constitutional amendments and the preservation of presidential records.
Byron has been working with the Trump administration on Archive matters.
The president has a tumultuous relationship with the National Archives, after the agency asked the Justice Department to look into the 15 boxes of classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate after he left office the first time.
