Kennedy Center Faces Turmoil Under Trump’s Leadership \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump received a mix of boos and applause at the opening night of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center. The event marked his return to the arts scene amid sweeping changes he’s imposed on the institution. Performers, patrons, and productions are pushing back against his controversial cultural agenda.
Quick Looks
- Trump attended Les Misérables opening night at the Kennedy Center
- Crowd offered a blend of boos and cheers
- Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board now filled with loyalists
- Subscription sales decline; major artists and productions withdraw
- Heightened security measures and boycotts mark the event
- Trump downplays criticism: “I couldn’t care less”
- Cast members may have skipped due to Trump’s presence
- Programming under fire for perceived political overreach
- Trump proposes cutting federal arts and humanities funding
- Smithsonian museums also targeted under new executive orders
Deep Look
President Donald Trump’s appearance at the opening night of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday was anything but a routine cultural event. It marked his first visit to the storied institution since his return to office — and symbolized his broader attempt to remake one of America’s premier arts venues into a platform aligned with his political and cultural ideology.
Arriving in a tuxedo and accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the president was greeted by a mixed reception of boos and applause from the crowd. The polarization underscored the tension surrounding Trump’s increasingly assertive role in reshaping not only the Kennedy Center but the national arts scene at large.
While most U.S. presidents have treated the Kennedy Center as a ceremonial space — attending honors events and occasionally naming board members — Trump has chosen to reframe the institution as a battleground in the wider culture war. Since returning to the White House in January, he has systematically removed the previous board of trustees and executive leadership, replacing them with loyalists. He installed himself as chairman and vowed to overhaul its programming, management, and “aesthetic vision.”
In doing so, Trump has shifted the Kennedy Center from an apolitical celebration of the arts into a lightning rod for partisan cultural conflict.
A Personal and Political Affair
Trump’s choice to attend Les Misérables was no coincidence. The sprawling 19th-century musical, with themes of rebellion and justice, has long held symbolic significance for him. The show’s rousing anthem “Do You Hear the People Sing?” — often interpreted as a cry against oppression — has been featured at Trump rallies and campaign events. By aligning himself with such a production, Trump signaled his intent to reclaim even traditionally liberal-leaning cultural icons for his populist brand.
The scene on opening night was a carefully curated mix of theater and political theater. Among the high-profile Trump allies in attendance were Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim director of the Kennedy Center; Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha; Attorney General Pam Bondi; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and Fox News personalities Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham. Guests navigated heightened security measures, including metal detectors and bag searches, while paying steep prices for refreshments ($8 sodas and $19 glasses of wine), a reminder of the event’s exclusive, VIP-adjacent feel.
Although some attendees were unaware of Trump’s planned visit until security protocols were announced, reactions were mixed. “I’m going to enjoy the show regardless,” said longtime fan Terry Gee. Others, like nurse Hannah Watkins, were more focused on the performance than the politics, expressing surprise but not dismay at the president’s presence.
Yet the visible empty seats in both the orchestra and balcony sections were impossible to ignore, hinting at the quiet resistance brewing within the Kennedy Center’s patron base.
Cultural Shake-Up Draws Backlash
The Trump administration’s takeover of the Kennedy Center has had a profound ripple effect across the arts world. Since assuming control, Trump has been unapologetic in his aim to reshape the institution in line with his ideology. He criticized past programming as being “out of control,” accusing the center of hosting “Marxist anti-police performances” and “lesbian-only Shakespeare” productions.
In the wake of his leadership shake-up, multiple high-profile artists and performers have cut ties with the institution. The touring company of Hamilton canceled its scheduled run. Issa Rae and Rhiannon Giddens pulled out of appearances. Musical artists and advisors like Ben Folds and Renée Fleming resigned in protest. Even Les Misérables itself may not have been immune — some cast members reportedly boycotted the opening night performance due to Trump’s attendance, leading to reports that understudies were used.
Trump, unsurprisingly, dismissed the controversy. “I couldn’t care less,” he told reporters when asked about potential boycotts.
Adding to the upheaval, subscription sales have reportedly dropped since Trump’s rebranding of the Center began. What was once seen as a unifying space for high art and national celebration has, in the eyes of many, become a tool of political messaging.
A Broader War on the Arts
Trump’s ambitions extend beyond the Kennedy Center. His administration has aggressively targeted publicly funded arts and humanities institutions. His latest budget proposal includes eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Millions in federal grants to cultural organizations have been frozen or rescinded. Trump has also moved against the Smithsonian Institution, signing executive orders to restrict its funding and attempting to remove leadership at the National Portrait Gallery.
Supporters argue that Trump is simply restoring ideological balance and fiscal responsibility to cultural spaces they believe have skewed too far left. Critics see a darker agenda — one aimed at suppressing artistic expression that challenges conservative narratives or celebrates marginalized voices.
As culture continues to play a central role in America’s political discourse, Trump’s aggressive posture has only deepened the divide. The Kennedy Center, a once-neutral refuge for performance, has now become an arena for contesting national identity.
A Legacy in Flux
The Kennedy Center was born out of a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation, conceived during President Dwight Eisenhower’s administration and ultimately brought to life under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Intended as a nonpartisan symbol of American artistic excellence, its transformation under Trump is both unprecedented and controversial.
Trump’s supporters frame his actions as an overdue correction to a cultural establishment they view as elitist and exclusionary. His critics, however, argue that his interference undermines the independence of the arts and threatens the creative freedoms on which institutions like the Kennedy Center were built.
As Trump pushes forward with his cultural realignment, artists, patrons, and institutions face an increasingly fraught decision: participate under new leadership or resist through boycott and protest.
For now, the curtain remains open — but the spotlight has shifted, and the Kennedy Center finds itself at the center of a political drama with no clear ending.
Kennedy Center Faces Kennedy Center Faces Kennedy Center Faces
You must Register or Login to post a comment.