Almost immediately after his inauguration, President Trump “took over” the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. He appointed himself Chairman of the Board of the Center, and replaced several Board members. No wonder: in the last days of his administration, Joe Biden had appointed White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, political strategist Mike Donilon, and DNC finance chair Chris Korge to the Kennedy Center’s Board. In appointing himself, Trump vowed to “make the Kennedy Center GREAT AGAIN!” Trump appointed Richard Grenell president of the organization.
The reaction of the “arts community” was predictable. The Center’s artistic advisor, Ben Folds, resigned. Democratic senators hosted an invitation-only “pride” event at the Center. Numerous musicians and other performers vowed to quit, although I am not sure how many actually did. A touring production of Hamilton spurned the Kennedy Center, and Washington Performing Arts is boycotting the Kennedy Center, putting on events in other venues instead.
So, is all of this a disaster for the Kennedy Center? Perhaps not: Kennedy Center Breaks Fundraising Records as Trump Overhaul Continues.
The Kennedy Center is on its way to operating in the black as the Trump overhaul of the national theater continues.
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On the 155th page of [the Big Beautiful Bill], tucked between rescissions of low-carbon transportation grants and provisions to end environmental review fees, is an appropriation for $250 million to renovate the marquee center for the arts.
A provision that reportedly was requested by Trump himself.
Trump and first lady Melania hosted a VIP reception at the Kennedy Center last month to raise funds for renovations. Gold sponsorship cost $2 million and earned a donor premier seats, a photo opportunity with the president, and an invitation to a VIP reception after that evening’s premiere of “Les Misérables.” Silver sponsorships, meanwhile, ran for $100,000.
On the red carpet at the end of the evening, the president boasted to the press that the event earned a cool $10 million in private donations. Now, a source with direct knowledge tells RCP that the Kennedy Center 4th of July celebration “has broken all previous fundraising records to date.”
Their Independence Day fundraising has yielded nearly $700,000 for the historic opera house – $25,000 more than ever before. All of this is unusual, or at least unexpected. When Trump fired the old board and installed loyalists as trustees earlier this year, protests followed.
The Kennedy Center can use the money: Grenell says that the new regime’s review of the Center’s finances found $26 million in fake revenue.
Trump wants to make the Kennedy Center more relevant to the cultural life of the nation:
A source familiar with operations of the theater told [Real Clear Politics] that not only will the center “not be operating in the red anymore” on Independence Day, but moving forward, it will offer “an experience for patrons of all financial means.”
Will Trump be able to inject new life into the Kennedy Center? Well, for one thing, there won’t be any more drag shows. That is a start. The Center’s 2025-2026 theater season looks OK, but is mostly a recycling of Broadway and West End shows. But I suppose it was mostly booked before the Inauguration. As Trump likes to say, we will have to wait and see. But I would bet on improvement.
