Donald Trump Takes Charge at Kennedy Center: Drama Unfolds Amidst Organizational Upheaval

Donald J. Trump has been appointed as the new chairman of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This announcement was made on February 12 through a statement on Trump’s Truth Social platform. In his post, Trump expressed, “It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees. We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!” He takes over from David M. Rubenstein, a billionaire philanthropist who led the Kennedy Center’s board for more than ten years and had his tenure extended until 2026 after postponing his retirement.

Trump recently took on the role of acting chairman and removed all 18 Democratic members from the Kennedy Center’s traditionally bipartisan 36-member board. Board members usually serve six-year terms, and although such a large-scale removal isn’t directly forbidden by the center’s rules, this marks the first instance where such presidential power has been utilized. Trump justified the changes by stating on February 7, “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth—THIS WILL STOP. 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!”

Additionally, Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutler was dismissed earlier this week, with Trump appointing Richard Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence, as the interim executive director. Reacting to her termination, Rutler told NPR, “Much like our democracy itself, artistic expression must be nurtured, fostered, prioritized, and protected. It is not a passive endeavor; indeed, there is no clearer sign of American democracy at work than our artists, the work they produce, and audiences’ unalienable right to actively participate.”

Ben Folds also announced his resignation from his position as artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra, citing the recent upheavals at the Kennedy Center. In a post on BlueSky, Folds shared, “Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO. It’s been a wonderful 8 years working with Kennedy Center President Deb Rutter, fellow artistic advisor Renee Fleming, NSO artistic administrator Justin Ellis, and the entire NSO staff, encouraging thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate symphonic music. Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation’s symphony orchestra – just the best!”

During his initial presidency, Trump notably did not attend the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017, 2018, or 2019, becoming the first president in history to miss the event consecutively. He also admitted to reporters on Air Force One that he has never attended any performance at the Kennedy Center, commenting, “There was nothing I wanted to see.”