Trump to purge Kennedy Center board of trustees and make himself chairman
President Trump announced he will immediately remove several members of the Kennedy Center board and install himself as chairman – claiming the current leadership doesn’t share his “vision” for the arts.
Trump, 78, said a new board that supports his “Golden Age in Arts and Culture” will be established, while blasting Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for previously hosting drag shows “targeting” children.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN,” the commander in chief wrote in a Truth Social post Friday night.
“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,” he continued. “We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”
“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!”
The center’s board has 36 trustees – which includes “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes, singer Jon Batiste and former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre – serving six-year terms who are appointed by the president.
It’s unclear who will get the boot but Trump’s latest decision will oust current Kennedy Center chairman, billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein, a close ally of former President Joe Biden.
The co-founder of the Carlyle Group was appointed to the board by President George W. Bush. He was later reappointed by Presidents Obama and Biden, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“The Kennedy Center is aware of the post made recently by POTUS on social media,” a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement to The Post.
“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 chairman is appointed by the board of trustees, the center added.
“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.”
Friday’s news comes more than a week after the Kennedy Center’s president, Deborah Rutter, announced plans to step down at the end of the year following more than a decade at the helm.
“I don’t feel excited,” Rutter, 68, told The Washington Post.
“If anything, I feel kind of sad. But I know that this is the right time.”
Trump made a habit of skipping the star-studded Kennedy Center Honors awards ceremony for the performing arts during his first stint as president, despite making notable appointments to the board, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, country singer Lee Greenwood and businessman Paolo Zampolli.
First ladies Melania Trump, Dr. Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton currently serve as honorary chairs.
The Kennedy Center, which hosts more than 2,000 events each year across its many stages, is the official residence of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.
