The president, who unexpectedly named himself chairman of the Kennedy Center’s board on Feb. 7, says he’s received secondhand “reports” that the performing arts theater has bad programming
President Donald Trump is sharing why he’s setting his sights on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
While taking questions aboard Air Force One en route to the 2025 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9, Trump was asked about the reason behind his stunning plan to fire the board of the national cultural center and name himself chairman.
“I want to make sure it runs properly,” Trump said. “We don’t need woke at the Kennedy Center, and we don’t need — some of the shows were terrible. They were a disgrace that they were even put on.”
“So I’ll be there until such time that it is running right,” he added.
A reporter asked a follow up question about whether he had “seen any shows there,” to which the president responded, “No.”
“I get reports they were so bad… I didn’t want to go,” he explained. “There was nothing I wanted to see.”
On Monday, Feb. 10, Trump announced on Truth Social that his special envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, would be the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center, writing: “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA — ONLY THE BEST. RIC, WELCOME TO SHOW BUSINESS!”
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The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees is appointed by the president, though its chair is usually appointed by the board, according to Reuters and the Kennedy Center itself.
Trump previously announced his plans to replace previous Chair David M. Rubenstein on Truth Social on Friday, Feb. 7.
He wrote, in part, on the social media platform, “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. We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”
Trump once again cited that his reasoning behind the decision stemmed from “drag shows specifically targeting our youth” that the Kennedy Center hosted last year. He added, “THIS WILL STOP.”
In response to Trump’s post, the Kennedy Center — which receives federal funding — issued a statement on Feb. 7, saying in part: “The Kennedy Center is aware of the post made recently by POTUS on social media. We have received no official communications from the White House regarding changes to our board of trustees. We are aware that some members of our board have received termination notices from the administration.”
“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 continued. “There is nothing in the Center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.”
Rubenstein, 75, was set to retire in January 2025, but extended his role at the Kennedy Center until September 2026 following Trump’s election, per The New York Times. Trump notably has some history with the arts center as well, previously breaking tradition by opting out of attending the Kennedy Center Honors in 2016, the Times and The Hill reported.
