Kennedy Center

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Workers Begin Adding Trump Name to Kennedy Center

Kennedy family ridicules the move

(Newser) - Members of the Kennedy family are strongly objecting to a move to rebrand the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the "Trump-Kennedy Center." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the name change Thursday , saying a board appointed by Trump earlier this year had unanimously...

Board Adds Trump's Name to the Kennedy Center

It was not immediately clear if Congress needs to approve the change

(Newser) - Goodbye, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Hello, Trump-Kennedy Center. Or at least that's the view of the board handpicked by President Trump to run the DC arts institution. On Thursday, the board voted unanimously to rename the facility, reports NBC News . However, the Washington Post reports...

Trump: I'll Be 'Involved' in Netflix-Warner Deal

President sounds a warning that Netflix might end up being too big

(Newser) - President Trump promised to be "involved" in the federal vetting of Netflix's potentially giant deal to buy Warner Bros. Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center on Sunday, Trump didn't tip his hand but sounded a warning that any such deal could end up making Netflix too...

Trump Expected to Speak, Win Prize at World Cup Draw

Kennedy Center event will conclude with 'YMCA'

(Newser) - The normally straightforward process of drawing names from pots to determine World Cup soccer matchups is going to be more political than usual this time around. President Trump will take center stage at Friday's FIFA event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, which kicks off at noon Eastern,...

FIFA Boss and Trump Ally Announces New Peace Prize

Soccer body unveils award after president's Nobel loss

(Newser) - A close ally is creating a new honor that could help take the sting out of President Trump's failure to win this year's Nobel Peace Prize. FIFA has announced it will present its own award next month in Washington, officially named the FIFA Peace Prize-Football Unites the World....

Kennedy Center Is Having a Hard Time Selling Seats

Washington Post analysis points to a sharp drop since President Trump took over the institution

(Newser) - The Washington Post has taken a deep dive into ticket sales at the Kennedy Center in DC since President Trump took over the institution in February , and the results might be summed up in one word: Bleak.
  • Roughly 43% of seats have gone unsold for a typical production since early
...

Trump at Kennedy Center: I'm Your New Awards Host

President also reveals 2025 award recipients, including Sylvester Stallone

(Newser) - President Trump's influence over the Kennedy Center continues to be felt as he was on hand Wednesday to announce this year's five recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, then revealed he would host the annual gala later this year. Trump first teased "GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY...

GOP Pushes to Rename Kennedy Center for Trump

Bill would swap JFK's name for Trump's at arts hub, renaming it 'Trump Center for the Performing Arts'

(Newser) - A Missouri Republican in the House is pushing a bill to strip John F. Kennedy's name from Washington's famed performing arts center and rechristen it as the "Trump Center for the Performing Arts." Rep. Bob Onder introduced the proposal, dubbing it the Make Entertainment Great...

Kennedy Center Crowd Boos, Cheers Trump

President, first lady catch Les Miserables in DC, along with other MAGA attendees

(Newser) - The drama in the audience rivaled the spectacle on stage Wednesday at the Kennedy Center, where President Trump attended the opening night of Les Miserables as he tightens his grip on the venerable performing-arts institution. It was his first time attending a show there since his election, and he was...

Trump to Attend Les Mis Opening Night Tonight
Trump Will Be at Les Mis.
Some Cast Members May Not
THE RUNDOWN
Jun 11, 2025 2:30 PM CDT

Trump Will Be at Les Mis. Some Cast Members May Not

Trump will be at Kennedy Center opening night

(Newser) - President Trump will be in the president's box for the opening night of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center Wednesday night—but some leading cast members might not be on the stage. The Independent reports that some cast members are expected to boycott the show, leaving understudies to...

'Hostile Takeover' Blamed for Drop in Kennedy Center Sales

Subscriptions are down 36%

(Newser) - Subscription sales at Washington, DC's Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have fallen sharply—and insiders say the change in management is to blame. Sales of subscriptions to theater, dance, and other performances are down 36%, or around $1.6 million, year-on-year, the Washington Post reports. President Trump fired...

Trump Says He's Firing National Portrait Gallery Chief

Whether he has the authority to remove Kim Sajet, the first woman in that role, remains unclear

(Newser) - President Trump announced Friday he has fired Kim Sajet, the longtime director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Sajet, who was the first woman in the role, led the gallery for 12 years. Trump made the move public in a Truth Social post , citing recommendations from "many...

Kennedy Center Employees File for Vote on Unionizing

Workers criticize firings, lack of transparency at Trump-run institution

(Newser) - Employees of the Kennedy Center, which has been under new management since shortly after President Trump took office, have informed the National Labor Relations Board that they want to form a union. As reasons, the organizers on Thursday cited the firings of nearly 40 people and a lack of transparency...

Kennedy Center Nixes LGBTQ+ Pride Events in June

'We are finding another path to the celebration'

(Newser) - Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer's WorldPride festival in Washington, DC, amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Multiple artists and producers involved in...

Yes, Politics Came Up as Conan Got Kennedy Center Award

O'Brien accepted Mark Twain Prize for humor

(Newser) - Conan O'Brien accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Sunday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and, perhaps not surprisingly, the current state of national affairs came up quite a few times during the course of the evening. President Trump, of course, wasted no time gutting...

Trump Wants More Say on Kennedy Center Honorees

Now the center's chairman, president will address the board Monday

(Newser) - After expressing dissatisfaction with the Kennedy Center's presentations and installing loyalists on its board who elected him chairman , President Trump is moving to give himself more control over the selection of the artists to be honored in its televised awards gala—an event he boycotted during his first term....

JD Vance Booed at Kennedy Center
JD Vance Booed
at Kennedy Center
VIDEO
Mar 14, 2025 5:46 AM CDT

JD Vance Booed at Kennedy Center

Reaction follows Trump's gutting of board, appointment as chair

(Newser) - A crowd gathered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday was none too pleased to see a certain vice president in the audience. As JD Vance and his wife, Usha, took their balcony seats for a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra, loud boos and...

Amid 'Climate of Fear' at Kennedy Center, Another Star Walks

Actor Issa Rae nixes March show for 'infringement' on institution's 'values' at the hands of Trump

(Newser) - Musician Ben Folds, opera singer Renee Fleming, and TV showrunner Shonda Rimes have all walked away from their posts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the wake of President Trump gutting the center's board made up of Biden appointees, then appointing a new group...

Trump Guts Kennedy Center Board, Is Then Elected Chair

President had already declared the role for himself, promised to remove 'wokeness'

(Newser) - The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday voted to elect President Trump as its new chair, days after Trump declared himself the chair of the Washington, DC, institution . Trump followed that declaration up by removing all the Biden-appointed members of the board, the...

Trump Says He's Taking the Reins at the Kennedy Center

The president is gutting the board of the cultural institution and naming himself chairman

(Newser) - President Trump said Friday that he is firing members of the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and naming himself chairman. The AP reports he also indicated that he would be dictating programming at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions, specifically...

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