By Ashleigh Fields
Special to the AFRO
President Trump sparked a national debate after taking over leadership of the prestigious John
F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a valued contributor to the global cultural community and a tourism magnet nestled alongside the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.
The Republican has admittedly never attended a performance at the site, eschewing several Kennedy Center Honors during his first term in defiance of White House tradition.
“So we took over the Kennedy Center. We didn’t like what they were showing and various other things,” the president told reporters on Feb. 10, according to CNN.
“I’m going to be chairman of it, and we’re going to make sure that it’s good and it’s not going to be woke,” he added. “There’s no more woke in this country. Woke has cost us a fortune and cost us our reputation, but the reputation is coming back very, very rapidly.”
On Feb. 10, Trump removed 18 board members appointed by former President Biden and replaced them with Vice President JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance in addition to allies, including Susie Wiles, Dan Scavino, Allison Lutnick, Lynda Lomangino, Mindy Levine, Pamela Gross, John Falconetti, Cheri Summerall, Sergio Gor, Emilia May Fanjul, Patricia Duggan and Dana Blumberg. Richard Grenell was named interim executive director.
The group voted to make the president chair of the world renowned arts center, replacing Baltimore native and billionaire David Rubenstein, whom Trump fired, citing his disapproval of the Kennedy Center’s recent shows and customs.
The ousted board members “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” the president said. He further elaborated on the programming he found to be problematic.
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” the president wrote in a post on TruthSocial on Feb. 7. “The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME.”
Rubenstein had been set to chair the board until 2026, when he planned to step down after serving in the role for 15 years.
“As many of you have heard, I am no longer the Chairman of the Kennedy Center. I want to direct this message especially to the current and recent employees of the Kennedy Center: I am sorry that I could not be in Washington yesterday with Deborah Rutter and all of you,” Rubenstein said of the move.
“The Kennedy Center team, led by Deborah, has done an extraordinary job supporting the Kennedy Center over many years and through a number of difficult times, thereby helping to make the Center the beacon for the performing arts its founders intended.”
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who was appointed by Biden in the final months of his presidency, also was ousted by Trump. She responded to the dismissal with reflections on positive memories at the Center.
“The Kennedy Center has been a place of tremendous joy for me and my family for many years,” Jean Pierre wrote in a statement. “From attending the Kennedy Center Honors, to enjoying a performance with my daughter, to this past holiday season participating as guest narrator in ‘The Night Before Christmas’ with the National Symphony Orchestra Pops. I love everything about this remarkable institution and will always hold many precious memories close to my heart.”
The Kennedy Center is an iconic performance hall that hosts thousands of shows every year. It is also home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.