Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) questioned President Trump’s intentions after successfully being elected chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
“I am concerned that there is a real, it is a little bit weird, just a little bit weird that the President of the United States is now head of the Kennedy Center,” Sanders told NewsNation in a Thursday interview.
The Vermont senator suggested the move was a consolidation of power without concern for culture.
Trump’s decision to remove 18 Biden appointees from the center’s board including former Chair David Rubenstein sparked a crippling response, causing some celebrities to flee their post after the move.
“You know, we got other people who know a little bit about culture, maybe even more than the president,” Sanders stated.
“But what is clearly happening in this country right now, every single day, with [Elon] Musk, with President Trump, is more and more power going to fewer and fewer people, and often people who have huge amounts of money,” he added.
The president said he would use his chairmanship to alter on stage performances without having ever attended one at the center.
“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. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
After the announcement, the center’s president Deborah F. Rutter announced her departure.
“Much like our democracy itself, artistic expression must be nurtured, fostered, prioritized, and protected,” Rutter said in a statement.
“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.”
