President Trump says he’s “disappointed” with what he saw while touring the Kennedy Center for the first time after naming himself chairman of the performing arts institution as part of an unprecedented overhaul, vowing to fix up a place he says “represents a very important part” of both Washington and the country.
“It’s in tremendous disrepair, as is a lot of the rest of our country, most of it because of bad management,” Trump told reporters Monday after he toured the Kennedy Center and met for the first time as chairman of its board.
Trump, a former New York real estate developer, said he took issue with some of the structural components of the space, claiming the center “spent a fortune” on underground rooms “that nobody’s going to use.”
While it’s unclear what areas Trump was referring to, the Kennedy Center underwent an award-winning $250 million expansion project in 2019.
“I’m very disappointed when I look around. The bottom line: It has tremendous potential. And we’ll work with Congress… It’s a very public facility, and we’ll do what has to be done,” Trump said.
“We’re going to fix it up, but it’s really emblematic of our country,” he said.
It’s the first time Trump stepped foot in the space since announcing in February that he would boot multiple members of the Kennedy Center’s board and serve as its chairman. He accused the prominent arts hub of being too “woke,” and appointed Richard Grenell, his envoy for special missions, as its interim executive director.
“We took over the Kennedy Center. We didn’t like what they were showing,” Trump said last month.
“We’re going make sure that it’s good and it’s not going be woke,” he said at the time.
Trump was joined at the Kennedy Center by Grenell, along with second lady Usha Vance, his chief of staff Susie Wiles, Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo and country music singer Lee Greenwood — all new members of the board appointed by him.
The Kennedy Center, Trump said, “represents a very important part of D.C., and actually our country. And I think it’s important to make sure that our country is in good shape and is represented well.”
Ahead of Trump’s visit on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he hoped “to restore arts and culture that embrace American tradition, don’t disparage it, as we have unfortunately seen over the past several years.”
With the president’s “business developer mind,” Leavitt said, “I’m sure he’ll be making some recommendations on how the center itself can be improved but also will be discussing perhaps some future plays, and musicals and theatrical programs that the center will be hosting under his new leadership.”
The extraordinary move to overhaul the Kennedy Center’s board ignited intense backlash. Several stars associated with the Kennedy Center — including Ben Folds, Shonda Rhimes and Renée Fleming — exited their roles following Trump’s takeover.
Actor Issa Rae nixed her sold-out performance at the Kennedy Center that had been scheduled to take place this month, saying, “Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue.”
Vice President JD Vance was seen in a video being jeered by audience members while attending a National Symphony Orchestra performance at the Kennedy Center last week.
Trump shunned the institution in his first term, bucking tradition and skipping its Kennedy Center Honors ceremony throughout his time in office after several performers being recognized at the annual gala spoke out against him.
Asked Monday what he would tell potential audience members who are interested in seeing a performance at the Kennedy Center, Trump said, “I’d say, come here and see a show.”
The president said that while he was not a fan of “Hamilton” — which announced earlier this month it was canceling its scheduled Kennedy Center run — Broadway productions “have done very well.”
“You’ll see, over a period of time, it’ll improve very greatly physically,” Trump said.
“We’re going to get some very good shows.”
