President Donald Trump announced he is firing multiple members of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ board of trustees and appointing himself as the new chairman.
Trump declared the decision on his social media platform, stating that he aims to reshape the Kennedy Center and eliminate performances he deems inappropriate, specifically calling out drag shows.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” Trump wrote.
He further emphasized his personal role in the transition, adding, “We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”
Following Trump’s post, the Kennedy Center issued a statement saying it had not received any formal notice from the White House about changes to its leadership.
“We are aware that some members of our board have received termination notices from the administration,” the statement read. “Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the Center’s board members.”
The statement also pointed out that while an administration can replace board members, this would be the first time such an action has been taken at the Kennedy Center.
Trump’s remarks regarding the elimination of drag performances have sparked backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and performers.
Blaq Dinamyte, president of the national drag artist network Qommittee, called Trump’s move an act of censorship. “Banning an entire art form is censorship, plain and simple. Americans don’t have to agree on everything, but we should be able to speak our minds and perform our art without bans, retaliation, or intimidation.”
Trump specifically pointed to past events hosted by the Kennedy Center, including a July show titled “A Drag Salute to Divas” and a November “Drag Brunch.” He claimed such events targeted youth and vowed to put an end to them.
Shortly after Trump’s post, the Kennedy Center’s website experienced technical difficulties, as visitors were met with a message saying, “We are experiencing high traffic,” and were placed in an online waiting room.
Although Trump did not list all the board members he plans to remove, he did name current chairman David Rubenstein, a philanthropist who has held the role since 2010.
Rubenstein was originally appointed by Republican President George W. Bush and was reappointed by both Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The board includes members from both political parties, including Biden’s former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and TV producer Shonda Rhimes, alongside Trump allies like Pam Bondi and country singer Lee Greenwood.
During his first term, Trump previously appointed actor Jon Voight and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to the Kennedy Center board. Now, with his return to office, he appears determined to reshape its leadership and programming to align with his vision.
