Trump Dismisses Members of Kennedy Center Board and Reveals Plan to Make Himself Chairman

Trump's arrival in Washington continues to shake up the arts community across the country. The President just announced plans to dismiss multiple members of the Kennedy Center board. According to the Atlantic, they include Democrats Mike Donilon, Karine Jean-Pierre, and Chris Korge. He also writes that he will appoint himself chairman of the board. 

**UPDATE** The Kennedy Center has released an official statement on the earlier reports of dismissals from its Board of Directors:

A Statement From the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Throughout our history, the Kennedy Center has enjoyed strong support from members of congress and their staffs—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Since our doors opened in1971, we have had a collaborative relationship with every presidential administration. Since that time, the Kennedy Center has had a bi-partisan board of trustees that has supported the arts in a non-partisan fashion.

While we are a living memorial to President Kennedy, we are also a unique public-private partnership. The Center is supported by federal annual appropriations for the upkeep and maintenance of the building as a federal memorial, or approximately 16% of the total operating budget. Support for the Center’s artistic programming comes from ticket sales, donations, rental income, and other revenue sources.

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.

Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, 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 news comes a week after Deborah F. Rutter announced she will step down as president of the Kennedy Center.  Her departure comes as the institution prepares for continued challenges under President Trump’s second term, including potential changes to federal arts policy.

Rutter’s departure also coincides with shifts in federal arts policy under the new administration. Last week, the National Gallery of Art announced it would discontinue diversity, equity, and inclusion programs following an executive order. While the Kennedy Center does not have a formal DEI initiative, it has pledged commitment to diversity and accessibility and is reviewing its language in light of the executive order.

Rutter emphasized the role of the arts in unifying a divided nation. “The arts can and should be a unifying aspect of our society,” she told the New York Times. “This is our mandate - to what degree can we help people in our country really truly find one another?”

This news comes after the National Endowment for the Arts 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.