Trump says he ousted Kennedy Center chair and board members

Show Caption

Hide Caption

President Donald Trump’s agenda hits speed bumps

Judges have pumped the brakes on Trump’s efforts to fast-track his policy goals.

WASHINGTON − Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, renowned for her grace and elegance, once served as an honorary chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which was named for her slain husband.

President Dwight Eisenhower first envisioned the cultural center, which sits on the east bank of the Potomac River, as an “artistic mecca” in 1959 .

More than six decades later, just shy of three weeks of being sworn-in as president for the second time, Donald Trump announced on social media that he had found an “amazing” chairman to take the Kennedy Center reins: Himself.

Trump also said he had decided to “immediately terminate multiple individuals” from the Kennedy Center's board of trustees, including the chairman, who he said did not share “our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”

What drew Trump’s ire?

“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” he wrote. “The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation.”

Although Trump has not released public statements against drag, he has sought to bar transgender student athletes from playing women’s sports and cut off federal money for schools that don’t comply. A Wednesday executive order  also could block transgender athletes from entering the country for the 2028 Olympics.

Billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein, who served as board chairman since 2010, was appointed to the Kennedy Center board by former President George W. Bush.

Although Trump claimed he had “immediately terminated” Rubenstein, an old news release on the center’s website said he was retiring in January 2025.

The release also said that Rubenstein would lead the Kennedy Center Foundation, a new organization established by the board of trustees “focusing on advancing national philanthropic support for the Kennedy Center.”

Kennedy Center did not respond to email and phone calls asking for comment.

The center is described on the website as a “living memorial to President John F. Kennedy.” It attracts millions of visitors each year to more than 2,000 performances and is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera.