President Donald Trump has taken charge of the Kennedy Center, making sweeping changes to its leadership and programming after years of leftist control. Touring the facility for the first time since his board appointments, Trump criticized its condition and vowed to restore it as a venue that reflects traditional American values.
In February, Trump removed several board members, appointing a new team that includes Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo, second lady Usha Vance and country music singer Lee Greenwood. He also installed Richard Grenell as interim executive director to oversee programming changes.
🚨 JUST IN: Trump is at the Kennedy Center for the board meeting and a tour. He is totally overhauling it.
He says they wanted to charge Lee Greenwood $30,000 just to sing there. Trump also says he is going to get with Speaker Johnson to fix its architecture.
"We're here to… pic.twitter.com/n3jGPcIHSV
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 17, 2025
Speaking at a board meeting inside the Kennedy Center, Trump said he was shocked at the state of the building despite a $250 million expansion. He described some of the facility’s underground rooms as wasteful projects that taxpayers should never have had to fund. “We’re going to fix it up,” he said, adding that the center had been mismanaged for years.
Trump’s overhaul has sparked outrage among Hollywood elites. Lin-Manuel Miranda pulled Hamilton from a planned run at the venue, while actress Issa Rae canceled her scheduled appearance. Drag performers who lost their bookings have staged protests, accusing Trump of censorship.
Trump is de nieuwe baas van het Kennedy Center in Washington DC, het nationale centrum voor uitvoerende kunst.
Natuurlijk wil hij het gaan verbouwen zodat het meer lijkt op zijn Mar-a-Lago. MT en bestuur bestaat nu uit MAGA.
Ondertussen lopen artiesten, donoren en publiek weg. https://t.co/YLAl6yBSG1— Walter van der Cruijsen (@wltrrr) March 18, 2025
Grenell wasted no time in shifting the Kennedy Center’s priorities. He announced plans for a major Christmas celebration and promised a stronger focus on performances that honor America’s cultural heritage. “We will not allow the Kennedy Center to be an intolerant place,” he said, making it clear that conservative voices would not be excluded.
Trump also pointed out that union rules and bureaucratic inefficiencies have led to excessive costs at the venue. He revealed that simply moving a piano for a performance would have cost $30,000, calling it an example of why reform is needed.
Despite opposition from the left, Trump remains focused on his plan to make the Kennedy Center a hub for entertainment that embraces patriotism, tradition and American excellence.
