President Donald Trump has given himself another title: chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In a post to Truth Social on Friday, Trump said that he’s ousted several members of the D.C. arts venue’s board. Trump said he’d kick off a “golden age in arts and culture” from his perch atop the nation’s premier cultural center.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. 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!” he wrote.
Trump was sparse on details, refusing to share which members of the board had been relieved and which programming was no longer up to snuff. The only events he cited directly in his post were drag performances hosted by the Kennedy Center last year.
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” he said. “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!”
Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein was the chairman of the board, prior to Trump’s mini-coup. Trump’s moves at the Kennedy Center have overwhelmed the cultural center’s website and the site directs visitors into a waiting room as of 8:30 p.m. ET. Rubenstein is still listed as chairman, as of this writing.
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