Donald Trump announced this weekend that he would be personally directing his administration to dissolve the board of Washington DC’s Kennedy Center – and installing himself as chairman.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “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!”
The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the major performing arts complex in the US capital, was blindsided by Trump’s post. “Since our doors opened in 1971 we have had a collaborative relationship with every presidential administration,” the Center said in a statement. “Since that time, the Kennedy Center has had a bi-partisan board of trustees that has supported the arts in a non-partisan fashion.”
“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.”
The mechanism by which the US president could appoint himself chair of the Kennedy Center board does not appear clear. “Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958,” the statement added, “the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the Center’s board members. 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.”
The home of the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, the Kennedy Center presents over 2000 performances a year, bringing dance, musical theatre, jazz, blues and folk concerts to the US capital. The Center was the first venue in the US to present performances by the Bolshoi Ballet and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, in the midst of the Cold War.
Trump’s post referenced a specific show at the Center which he objected to: “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP.” It is not clear to which performance the president was referring.
Update: President Trump has since announced that Richard Grenell, former controversial US ambassador to Germany, will be the Kennedy Center’s Interim Executive Director.
“Ric shares my Vision for a GOLDEN AGE of American Arts and Culture, and will be overseeing the daily operations of the Center. NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA”, Trump posted on social media.
