Cancellations, resignations follow Trump's move to reshape the Kennedy Center
With President Trump in charge, the Kennedy Center is facing a crisis as artists like Issa Rae and Low Cut Connie, along with key board members, are walking away.
Following through on a pledge made earlier this month, President Trump ousted 18 members of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ board, replacing them with a Trump-aligned majority that on Wednesday appointed him chairman “effective immediately.”
The fallout from the changes has been swift as prominent artists canceled performances and key board members resigned in protest, and on Thursday evening, dozens of D.C. residents gathered outside the Kennedy Center to denounce Trump’s changes.
Philadelphia-based rock and soul band Low Cut Connie announced Thursday it was canceling a scheduled March 19 performance.
“I was very excited to perform as part of this wonderful institution’s Social Impact series, which emphasizes community, joy, justice and equity through the arts,” band founder Adam Weiner wrote on Instagram. “Upon learning that this institution that has run nonpartisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime, I decided I will not perform there.”
Similarly, Issa Rae canceled her sold-out show, An Evening With Issa Rae, at the venue after hearing about Trump’s new role.
“Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue,” she wrote on Instagram.
Musician Ben Folds, a longtime artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, resigned his post immediately following Trump’s installation as chairman. He was soon joined by Renée Fleming, the world-renowned soprano who had served as an artistic adviser at large at the center.
“I’ve treasured the bipartisan support for this institution as a beacon of America at our best,” Fleming said in a statement. “I hope the Kennedy Center continues to flourish and serve the passionate and diverse audience in our nation’s capital and across the country.”
Shonda Rhimes, the producer behind the television hits Grey’s Anatomy and Bridgerton, had served as treasurer of the Kennedy Center’s board after being appointed by President Barack Obama. She resigned within hours of Trump’s takeover.
How Trump took over the Kennedy Center
In early February, Trump announced on Truth Social his plan to “immediately terminate” board members appointed by President Joe Biden, saying they “do not share” his vision. He then replaced them with a roster of White House officials, administration insiders and wealthy donors. On Wednesday the new board appointed him chairman.
“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees,” Trump responded in a statement. “We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!”
CNN's Jake Tapper obtained audio from a recent meeting between Trump and the new board, during which the president called the leadership changes "a very exciting development," saying, "I think we're going to make it hot."
Trump’s new Kennedy Center board members include:
Usha Vance, second lady of the United States
Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff
Cheri Summerall, Wiles’s mother
Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff for national security
Sergio Gor, White House director of presidential personnel
Allison Lutnick, wife of commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick
Pamela Gross, former White House adviser to the first lady
Patricia Duggan, major Trump donor
Emily May Fanjul, wife of sugar magnate and Trump donor Pepe Fanjul
Dana Blumberg, wife of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft
Mindy Levine, wife of New York Yankees president Randy Levine
Perhaps the most dramatic move was Trump’s appointment of Richard Grenell, his former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence, as interim president of the Kennedy Center — ousting long-serving Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter months before her planned departure.
The Kennedy Center board has historically been evenly divided between Republican and Democratic appointees, according to the New York Times. Board members typically serve six-year terms, and it is unusual for an incoming president to dismiss appointees en masse.
Looking ahead, Trump’s allies are likely to reshape the Kennedy Center’s programming to align with the president’s values, steering away from what he views as “woke culture,” sources told CBS News. Already the Kennedy Center has removed an LGBTQ Pride concert scheduled for May from its website.
