President Donald J. Trump has officially been elected chair of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C. The news arrived February 12, via a post on the president’s Truth Social account. “It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center,’” Trump is quoted as saying, “especially with this amazing Board of Trustees. We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!” He will replace billionaire philanthropist David M. Rubenstein, who helmed the Kennedy Center’s board for over a decade, and was set to stay on through 2026 after deferring his previously announced retirement.
Last week, after declaring himself acting chairman, Trump dismissed all 18 Democratic appointees to the Kennedy Center’s historically bipartisan, 36-member board. Member terms typically last six years, and, while a purge of this scale is not explicitly prohibited by the center’s bylaws, this is the first time that a presidential administration has used its power to do so. “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth—THIS WILL STOP,” the president wrote on Friday, February 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!”
Kennedy Center president Deborah F. Rutler was also fired this past Monday, with Trump installing former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell as interim executive director in her place. In a statement to NPR, Rutler said: “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.”
Rounding out the streak of departures is Ben Folds, who appears to have voluntarily stepped down from his role as artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra. “Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO,” Folds wrote on BlueSky earlier today. “Not for me. 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 symphony orchestra – just the best!”
During his first term, Trump did not attend the 2017, 2018, or 2019 Kennedy Center Honors, making him the first sitting president in history to skip the ceremony in back-to-back years. In fact, he recently told reporters aboard Air Force One that he has never been to any Kennedy Center performances: “There was nothing I wanted to see.”
Leave a Comment