(AFP) – US President Donald Trump announced Friday he will name himself to be chairman of the Kennedy Center, putting his aggressive rightwing stamp on Washington’s premier cultural venue. Trump broke the news in a post on his social media platform as he engages in a blizzard of policy changes upending the city and the country, attacking people, causes, and policies he says are dangerously left wing.
In a way, this appointment is another form of retribution, which Trump is seeking in his second term as he goes after perceived enemies: in his first term, from 2017 to 2021, the Republican regularly skipped the center’s yearly gala event because people in line to receive awards criticized him and said they would not show up if he did. In his post, Trump suggested that the Kennedy Center, the stately white marble entertainment complex overlooking the Potomac River and named for the late president John F. Kennedy, offered entertainment that did not reflect his own values.
Several members of the board will be replaced, including the current chairman, the billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein, Trump wrote. “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. We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!” the president said on Truth Social.
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. 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!” Trump said. Trump did not say what show he was referring to. In December, the center hosted concerts by a band called Bertha that featured some of its musicians dressed in drag.
The Kennedy Center is the home of the National Symphony Orchestra and also offers theatre, opera, comedy, and other productions. Rubenstein served as an advisor to the late president Jimmy Carter and also has ties to former president Joe Biden, who regularly attended the venue’s top gala, the Kennedy Center Honors, every year.
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