Trump appoints himself chairman of leading US cultural board

President Donald Trump has announced that he will be firing members of the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees and appointing himself as chairman of the board. This move signals his intention to personally intervene in the programming of this top American cultural institution. The decision highlights a desire to exert greater control over arts and culture in the nation's capital.

Trump made it clear that he would terminate all events featuring drag performers. This declaration comes during the initial weeks of his second term, as he aggressively intervenes in official Washington affairs, seeking to shut down federal agencies, freeze spending, and end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across government departments. These actions demonstrate a broader effort to reshape the federal landscape according to his vision.

“At my direction, we will Make the Kennedy Center Great Again,” Trump wrote in his statement. “I have decided to immediately terminate a number of board members, including the chairman, who are not aligned with our vision for a golden age of art and culture.” He further added, "We will soon be announcing a new board, led by a distinguished chairman, and that chairman is Donald J. Trump!" This announcement underscores his commitment to personally leading the Kennedy Center's transformation.

Unlike former President Joe Biden and other presidents of the past decades, Trump did not attend the Kennedy Center's annual Honors gala during his first term. The gala is held at the performing arts venue in Washington's Foggy Bottom neighborhood, which opened in 1971. His absence reflected a different approach to engaging with the arts community.

Shortly after Trump issued his statement, the Kennedy Center website began experiencing technical difficulties. Visitors received a message stating "We are experiencing high traffic" and were redirected to a "waiting room" that listed the number of hundreds of people ahead of them trying to access the site. This surge in traffic suggests significant public interest and reaction to the announcement.

Trump hinted in his post that he would be making some modifications to the center's performance schedule, noting that last year "the Kennedy Center hosted drag shows specifically targeting our youth—that will stop." According to the center's website, it hosted a preview performance called "Drag Show Tribute to the Divas" in July and a "Drag Brunch" in November. This focus on specific events indicates a clear agenda to alter the center's programming direction.

Trump did not specify in his post which board members he would be firing besides the current chairman, philanthropist David Rubenstein. The board is typically composed of political power players and major donors and currently consists of members from both parties. Rubenstein was first elected to the position in 2010 and has been re-elected every year since. Furthermore, as the principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Rubenstein was initially appointed to the Kennedy Center board by President George W. Bush, and subsequently reappointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Biden. His long tenure reflects a history of bipartisan support for his leadership.

The current board includes Biden's White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, as well as Biden's longtime allies Mike Donilon and Obama's former advisor Stephanie Cutter. The center's board treasurer is television producer Shonda Rhimes, who hosted a fundraiser for Biden before he abandoned his reelection campaign. The presence of these figures highlights the board's connections to the Democratic Party.

But the current board also includes Trump allies, including the new president's recently confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi, as well as Lee Greenwood, whose song "God Bless the U.S.A." was an unofficial anthem of Trump's presidential campaigns. During his first term in 2019, Trump announced that he would appoint longtime supporter actor Jon Voight to the board, as well as former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who this time he chose as the United States ambassador to Israel. These appointments demonstrate Trump's efforts to include his supporters in the Kennedy Center's leadership.