Trump Administration Ousts 18 Kennedy Center Board Members and Chairman

As BroadwayWorld reported last week, after dismissing multiple members of the Kennedy Center board. The move became official this afternoon as The New York Times reports that the names of 18 board members and the board chairman have been removed from the center’s official website.  

As of Monday, the board now consists of 17 members, all Trump appointees, with no chairman currently listed, despite Trump's stated intention to make himself chairman of the board. 

Among those removed were appointees of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., including White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, political strategist Mike Donilon, and musician Jon Batiste.

The board’s chairman, David M. Rubenstein, was also ousted. Rubenstein, a financier originally appointed by former President George W. Bush, has donated $111 million to the center, making him its largest benefactor.

Though Mr. Rubenstein had previously expressed optimism about working with Mr. Trump, saying they had spoken since the election (but not about the center), his expectations had remained cautious.

“I’ve talked to President Trump over the years about the Kennedy Center,” he had said. “He knows its virtues.”

The center also deleted a statement it had published on Friday in response to Mr. Trump’s comments, which had reaffirmed that, per its governance established by Congress in 1958, the board members, not the president, select the chairman. The statement had also noted that while a new administration has the authority to replace board members, “this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.”

The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the changes.

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."

On social media, he also criticized a drag-themed show the center hosted last year, titled Dragtastic Dress-up, which was marketed toward “LGBTQ+ youth under 18.” He vowed that such performances “WILL STOP.”

In addition to board removals, the Kennedy Center has recently scrubbed its website of references to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Mr. Trump has actively opposed such programs, issuing an executive order deeming them “illegal and immoral.”

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.