President Trump says he’s now the chairman of the Kennedy Center following a vote by its board after, in an unprecedented move, he named himself to the position.
“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Democrats target Musk in first DOGE hearing on ‘war on waste’
“We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!” the president said.
Trump’s remarks came after the Kennedy Center’s board reportedly elected him to lead the prominent performing arts institution in Washington on Wednesday.
The election of a sitting president came after a surprise announcement last week by Trump, saying he would “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.”
“We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!” he said on Friday.
The move to make himself chairman replaced billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein. While the co-founder of the private equity firm Carlyle Group has ties to former President Biden, Rubenstein previously told ITK, “I don’t support any candidate any time anywhere. I don’t give any money to politicians, no matter who they are. I’ve never given a penny to anybody running for president of the United States.”
The Kennedy Center didn’t immediately return ITK’s request for comment about Trump’s announcement that he was elected as its chairman.
Schumer: Democrats will use spending bills to curb Musk
On Monday, Trump said he tapped Richard Grenell, his envoy for special missions, as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center.
That same day, Trump said, “We took over the Kennedy Center. We didn’t like what they were showing.”
“We’re going make sure that it’s good and it’s not going be woke. There’s no more woke in this country,” he said.
Online he added: “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP.”
