Trump Admits to Never Seeing a Show at the Kennedy Center- 'Some of the Shows Were Terrible. It's a Disgrace'

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, after dismissing multiple members of the Kennedy Center board, Trump announced that he would name himself the new chairman of the board. Since then, he discussed the matter at a press conference on Air Force One on Sunday.  

When asked why he wants to be chairman of the board, he responded, "Because I want to make sure it runs properly. We don't need 'woke' at the Kennedy Center. Some of the shows were terrible, it's a disgrace that they were even put on. So I'll be there until such time as it gets to be running right."

Which shows has he seen at the Kennedy Center? "I didn't go," the President added. "I get reports that it is so bad, that I didn't want to go. There was nothing I wanted to see."

The news comes a week after Deborah F. Rutter announced she will step down as president of the Kennedy Center.  The National Endowment for the Arts also announced major changes to its 2026 grant guidelines and Trump announced that the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities has been disbanded. 

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, attracting millions of visitors each year to more than 2,000 performances, events, and exhibits. With its artistic affiliates, the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, the Center is one of the nation’s busiest performing arts centers dedicated to providing world-class art, powerful education, and outstanding memorial experiences to the broadest possible constituency. Across all its offerings, the Kennedy Center is committed to increasing accessible, inclusive opportunities for all people to participate in, and learn through the arts, including more than 400 free performances each year and a variety of Specially Priced Ticket programs for students, seniors, persons with disabilities, and others. On September 7, 2019, the Kennedy Center inaugurated the REACH, its first-ever major expansion. Designed by Steven Holl Associates, the REACH provides visitors with new opportunities to interact and engage with the Center as the nation’s premier nexus of arts, learning, and culture. On September 8, 2022, the Kennedy Center unveiled Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy, a new 7,500-square foot permanent exhibit exploring Kennedy’s presidency and his commitment to the arts.