Trump Names Himself Chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Arts

President Donald Trump announced his plans to gut the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, along with his intention to boot its chairman, billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein.

In his place, Trump declared that he would reinstate himself as head of the revered cultural center. “I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” wrote the president on Truth Social on Friday afternoon. “We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”

Trump, who wielded the culture wars throughout his election campaign in his favor, also took aim at the center’s past events. “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” said Trump. “The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”

The Atlantic first reported Trump’s scheme to dismiss Kennedy Center board members, suggesting that the group will likely include recent appointees of former President Joe Biden such as Democratic political strategist Mike Donilon, former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and Democratic National Committee finance chair Chris Korge.

Although Rubenstein announced that he would step down in January 2025 after a 14-year tenure, following Trump’s victory, the Kennedy Center stated that he would remain in the leadership role until September 2026.

Trump’s aggressive plan to refashion the Kennedy center is his latest in a growing list of moves to overwhelm opposition to his new administration. During Trump’s first term in office, he never attended the Kennedy Center’s annual gala event as artists criticized his administration and threatened to boycott the center’s White House events at the time.

The performance center was named as a memorial to former President John F. Kennedy in 1964. It opened its doors in 1971, and throughout the years has been a place that has celebrated inclusivity through art and has honored LGBTQ+ stories and talent in the past. Trump, whose first action in office was to codify an administration-wide crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights, appears poised to change the very core of the cherished space.

“The Kennedy Center is aware of the post made recently by POTUS on social media,” the memorial said in a statement following Trump’s announcement. “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.”

Although the chair is appointed by the center’s board members, per its “governance,” the center added that there is nothing in its “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.”