Trump Elected Chairman of Kennedy Center Amid Leadership Overhaul 👉 Updatem News

President Donald Trump was elected Kennedy Center chair as the board replaces leadership, marking a major shift at the Washington arts institution.

President Donald Trump has been elected chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by its newly constituted board of trustees, marking a sweeping leadership shakeup at the Washington-based arts institution.

Trump, who has criticized the center for promoting what he called “anti-American propaganda,” has vowed to realign it with his “vision for a Golden Age of American Arts and Culture.”

“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social after the Feb. 12 vote. “We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!”

Trump replaces David Rubenstein, billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the global investment company The Carlyle Group, as chair of the Kennedy Center. Trump recently described the center as an “American Jewel” that had been tarnished by hosting drag shows and other programs he deemed counter to traditional American values. Last week, Trump announced he was planning to replace several board members and would name himself chair.

The center’s board includes both presidential appointees and ex-officio members designated by Congress, such as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.

As part of the leadership overhaul, the board terminated the contract of Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter, who had previously announced plans to step down at the end of 2025, and appointed Richard Grenell as interim president.

In a statement to NPR, Rutter reflected on her tenure and the center’s role in fostering artistic expression as a pillar of democracy.

“Much like our democracy itself, artistic expression must be nurtured, fostered, prioritized, and protected,” Rutter said. “It is not a passive endeavor; indeed, there is no clearer sign of American democracy at work than our artists, the work they produce, and audiences’ unalienable right to actively participate.”

Grenell, the interim president, raised concerns about the Kennedy Center’s financial health, stating that his initial briefing painted a dire picture.

“I was briefed today by the CFO of the Kennedy Center on its financial situation,“ Grenell wrote in a post on social media. ”She told me there is ZERO cash on hand. And ZERO in reserves. And the deferred maintenance is a crisis. For the past months they’ve been digging into the DEBT RESERVES. We must fix this great institution. The people working hard at the Nation’s premier performing arts center deserve better—and so do all Americans.”

In addition to Trump, over a dozen new board members have been appointed, including Second Lady Usha Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, and Allison Lutnick, the wife of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Several high-profile individuals have stepped down from their positions in response to the leadership shakeup.

National Symphony Orchestra artistic advisor Ben Folds cited “developments at the Kennedy Center” in his resignation statement, saying “Not for me.”

Renée Fleming, an artistic advisor-at-large, praised Rubenstein as “the greatest patriot I know” and called Rutter “a tireless, creative leader.”

“They have both been an inspiration to me; and out of respect, I think it right to depart as well,” Fleming wrote. “I hope the Kennedy Center continues to flourish and serve the passionate and diverse audience in our nation’s capital and across the country.”

The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by publication time.

Original News Source Link – Epoch Times

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