President Donald Trump on Friday announced he would appoint himself chairman of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and terminate its sitting chair while chastising the Foggy Bottom cultural center for hosting drag-style performances.
Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would fire Kennedy Center Board Chair David Rubenstein and “multiple individuals” on the board because they don’t “share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” pointing to the venue’s drag performances that he said are “specifically targeting our youth.” A statement on the Kennedy Center’s website posted hours later states that the institution has a bipartisan history and that while the Center itself has not received official communications from Trump, his administration has issued termination notices to some board members.
“The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
Trump specifically criticized drag shows, which the Center hosts frequently. For example, “BERTHA: Grateful Drag,” an age-appropriate drag band, performed on the Terrace on Dec. 4. The Center also hosts a monthly “Broadway Drag Brunch” and events for queer youth as part of its “Social Impact” series.
Trump followed up with another post the same day featuring an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself appearing to conduct an orchestra captioned “Welcome to the New Kennedy Center.”
Rubenstein’s term ends in September 2026, though he announced and then reneged his early retirement in January 2024.
Rubenstein is the chief executive officer of the Carlyle global investment firm and chairman of several D.C.-based boards of trustees, including the National Gallery of Art. Former President Joe Biden awarded Rubenstein the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January for leadership in business, arts and culture.
Other members of the Kennedy Center’s board include U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lee Greenwood and Jon Voight, all of whom were appointed by Trump.
Though U.S. law defines a term of six years for all presidentially-appointed trustees, the center said in the statement that there’s nothing outlined in the center’s statute to prevent Trump from replacing board members.
The Kennedy Center’s statement did not specify who received termination notices. The board also said in the statement they have the legal duty to elect a chair, apparently challenging Trump’s assertion that he could helm the board.
President of the board Deborah F. Rutter in January announced her intention to step down at the end of her contract in August, according to the New York Times. In an interview with the Times, Rutter said the move was not related to the incoming administration and that the board was “looking forward” to working with Trump.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1958 establishing a commission for a National Cultural Center, which was subsequently renamed in 1964 to honor President John F. Kennedy.
The Kennedy Center opened on Sept. 8, 1971, to a premiere performance of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS.
The Kennedy Center hosts hundreds of free events each year and rents out space for performances, receptions and meetings, according to its website. The REACH, a grassy annex located between the Center and on-ramps to the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge, opened in 2019.
Trump has not attended the annual Kennedy Center Honors, awards for individuals with lifelong contributions to American culture, since he arrived in Washington in 2017, unlike all other presidents who have since the awards began in 1978.
