President Trump said Friday that he is appointing himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to make the Washington institution “great again” and is axing some members of the board.
In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said he is terminating multiple members from the board of trustees, including Chairman David M. Rubenstein, because they “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
Mr. Trump is instead installing himself as the new chairman and said a new board will be announced soon.
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation,” he wrote. “For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
In a statement, the Kennedy Center said it was aware of Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post, but had not received any official communications from the White House. It also noted that some board members had received termination notices from the Trump administration.
“Throughout our history, the Kennedy Center has enjoyed strong support from members of Congress and their staffs —Republicans, Democrats and independents. Since our doors opened in1971, we have had a collaborative relationship with every presidential administration. Since that time, the Kennedy Center has had a bipartisan board of trustees that has supported the arts in a nonpartisan fashion,” the statement said.
“While we are a living memorial to President Kennedy, we are also a unique public-private partnership. The center is supported by federal annual appropriations for the upkeep and maintenance of the building as a federal memorial, or approximately 16% of the total operating budget. Support for the center’s artistic programming comes from ticket sales, donations, rental income, and other revenue sources.”
The statement also noted that the chairman of the board of trustees is appointed by board members, per the center’s governance established by Congress in 1958.
“There is nothing in the center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.”
Mr. Rubenstein, a lawyer, businessman and philanthropist, is the co-founder of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. He is also the owner and president of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
Mr. Rubenstein announced he was going to retire in January 2025, but planned to stay on until September 2026. He was originally appointed to the board by President George W. Bush and reappointed by former presidents Obama and Biden.
Mr. Biden attended the annual Kennedy Center Honors for all four years of his presidency, but Mr. Trump declined to attend the star-studded tributes during his first term.
The board has 36 members, who are currently split evenly between Biden and Trump appointees. All members are appointed by presidents and serve six-year terms.
Some of Mr. Biden’s appointees during his final weeks included former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and political strategist Mike Donilon. One of the Trump appointees from his first term is current Attorney General Pam Bondi.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.