Cancellations, resignations follow Trump’s move to reshape the Kennedy Center
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, with prominent artists opting to cancel performances and some board members resigning in protest.
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 non-partisan 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.
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!”
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.
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.
Entertainment News
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.
How Trump took over the Kennedy Center
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Issa Rae cancels Kennedy Center event after Donald Trump becomes new chairman
“Insecure” star Issa Rae has canceled a previously scheduled event set to be held at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following news that President Donald Trump was elected the center’s new chairman.
In a statement posted to her Instagram Story Thursday, Rae thanked her followers for “selling out” her event “An Evening with Issa Rae.”
“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,” Rae wrote.
Rae added that all tickets will be refunded.
The president announced an aggressive plan last week to gut the center’s board of trustees and reshape the nation’s cultural center. Trump’s push puts the Washington, DC-based performing arts complex in the middle of the culture wars. While announcing his planned takeover last week, he called out the center’s programming.
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” Trump said on Truth Social on February 7. “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!”
Rae’s move comes after several other public figures in Hollywood have resigned from their leadership positions within the organization after the center confirmed that Trump was elected chairman of the board in a statement Wednesday.
A representative for Shonda Rhimes told CNN on Thursday that the “Grey’s Anatomy” producer has “resigned from the board of the Kennedy Center.”
Rhimes acknowledged her resignation on her Instagram page Wednesday with a post of a headline reflecting the news, alongside a quote from former US President John F. Kennedy in the caption: “If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.”
Musician Ben Folds, who served as the artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra, also announced on Wednesday that “given developments at the Kennedy Center,” he was resigning from his position.
“Not for me,” he wrote on social media. “It’s been a wonderful 8 years working with Kennedy Center President Deb Rutter, fellow artistic advisor Renee Fleming, and the entire NSO staff, encouraging thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate symphonic music.”
Folds added he’ll “miss the musicians of our nation’s symphony orchestra – just the best!”
The Kennedy Center also recently announced its new board membership, which includes several new Trump appointees after the removal of trustees who had been appointed by Democratic presidents.
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Kennedy Center staff describe climate of fear as events drop from calendar
Issa Rae became the first major artist to publicly cancel an upcoming show at the center after President Trump took over its board and leadership.
The fallout from President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center’s board and purge of its leadership continued Thursday, as the center’s staff worried about the storied arts institution and shows began to disappear from its lineup.
Comedian, actress and Hollywood creator Issa Rae said on Instagram that she was pulling her sold-out show, “An Evening With Issa Rae,” from the slate of programming, becoming the first major artist to publicly cancel an upcoming show at the Kennedy Center.
