Feb 7, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Trump says he'll remove Kennedy Center board members, name himself chair

Sareen Habeshian

Reflected in the Potomac River, the exterior of the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts building is lit up in multiple colors in advance of the annual Kennedy Center Honors on December 1, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images) — Reflected in the Potomac River, the exterior of the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts ahead of the annual Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 1, 2024, in Washington, DC. Photo: J. David Ake/Getty Images

President Trump announced Friday he's instating himself as head of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C. and dismissing several of its board members.

The big picture: Trump, who had a tense relationship with the Kennedy Center in his first term, now appears to be taking control of the art institution and removing adversaries from its board.

What he's saying: "At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN," the president wrote on Truth Social.

"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," he said. "We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!"
It was not immediately clear which board members he was referring to.

Zoom in: Philanthropist David Rubenstein has been the chairperson of the Kennedy Center's board of trustees for 14 years.

He'd announced he was going to retire in January 2025 but said after the presidential election that he'd stay on until September 2026.

Zoom out: The board, which has three dozen members each appointed for six-year terms, is currently pretty evenly split by appointees from Trump and former President Biden.

Biden filled a dozen vacancies on the board during his final weeks in office, including naming former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Trump's first-term appointees include his current attorney general, Pam Bondi.

The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment and Rubenstein could not be reached immediately.

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Trump says he'll remove Kennedy Center board members, name himself chair

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