Eisenhower Presidential Library director resigns after dispute with Trump over sword gift for King Charles

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library's former president resigned on Monday for refusing to give a sword to President Trump as a gift to King Charles III during his recent trip overseas.

Career historian Todd Arrington told CBS News in an interview on Thursday that he was pressured out of the position by the Trump administration and told to "Resign or be fired." 

"Apparently, they believed I could no longer be trusted with confidential information," Arrington said.

Arrington told the State Department that he could find an alternative gift for Trump to give the king during his visit to England last month, he told CBS News. He did not talk to White House officials, but spoke with Foreign Gift Office officials at the State Department and with his colleagues at the National Archives.

The resignation had nothing to do with any dispute with the White House, Arrington told the news outlet.

"I never said a bad word about anybody," he told CBS News. "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."

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment about Arrington's resignation.

Arrington previously worked with the National Park Service, and was the site manager of the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, Ohio, according to the White House Historical Association.

He was appointed as president of the presidential library in August 2024.

“Todd Arrington’s dedication to historic preservation and public engagement is unparalleled,” Dr. Colleen Shogan, former archivist of the United States, said in a statement last year. “His park service leadership, extensive scholarship, and creative social media approaches will be invaluable to the National Archives. We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber guiding our efforts to honor and help share President Eisenhower’s life and legacy.”

"If there's any way for it to happen, I'd return to this job in a heartbeat," Arrington told CBS News. "I love the job, I love the people, I love the history. I never in a million years wanted this to happen."