Feb 12, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Trump elected chairman of Kennedy Center board

April Rubin

Trump in suit with light blue tie and gold curtain background — President Trump attends a joint press conference at the White House on Feb. 4, 2025. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Trump was unanimously elected chairman of the Kennedy Center board of trustees on Wednesday, the president said on Truth Social.

Why it matters: Trump, who had a tense relationship with the arts organization during his first term, removed rivals its board last week to lay the ground for his takeover.

"We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place," Trump wrote.

Friction point: Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter was fired on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported, although she previously announced that she'd step down from her role at the end of the year.

Ben Folds resigned as the artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday "given developments at the Kennedy Center," he said in a statement.

Zoom in: Trump's newly designated trustees included Susie Wiles, his White House chief of staff, and Usha Vance, the second lady, Politico reported.

He appointed Pam Bondi, now his attorney general, to the board during his first term.

Context: During his first term, Trump skipped the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony after some honorees declined to meet him, per NPR, becoming the first president to skip all four years.

Before he dismissed several members on Friday, the board was relatively evenly split between Trump and former President Biden appointees.

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

Add Axios on Google

Trump elected chairman of Kennedy Center board

What to read next