The director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library has resigned following a dispute with the Trump administration over whether an original Eisenhower sword should be gifted to King Charles. Todd Arrington, who had led the library in Kansas since August 2024, stepped down after declining to release a historic sword from the collection during President Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom last month. Instead, King Charles was presented with a replica, while Queen Camilla received a Tiffany & Co. vintage brooch.
Arrington told CBS News that he was pressured to resign or face dismissal after refusing repeated requests to hand over an artifact that had been donated to the library. He emphasized that such items could not legally be removed from the collection, which is overseen by the National Archives. “Apparently, they believed I could no longer be trusted with confidential information,” Arrington said, denying claims that he had made disparaging remarks about Trump or his administration.
Sources told CBS that the State Department had pushed for the sword gift as a symbolic gesture of the US-UK alliance forged during World War II, when Eisenhower served as supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe. Arrington reportedly offered alternatives, including replicas, but officials continued to request the original piece. Ultimately, the replica sword was presented during a ceremony at Windsor Castle in September.
The Eisenhower Library, one of 16 presidential libraries in the United States, holds several swords belonging to the former president, including a saber and a sword of honor featured in a current exhibit. While the White House has no formal role in hiring or firing library directors, Arrington said he hopes to return to his position, stressing his love for the job and for preserving the history entrusted to the library.
