The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is one of those weird quasi-government, quasi-private endeavors that only seem to occur in the United States. It was founded in 1971 by an act of Congress and yet from its inception, it was to run exclusively on private funds. Good luck, kid. Fortunately, it didn’t need much luck because the center’s beauty, location in Washington, and the need for the elite and powerful to feel elite and powerful all ensured its success going forward, becoming an international icon.
As the Center went into the new Trump administration in 2025, few would have believed there was anything to fix. There probably wasn’t. It is far more likely that the “Destroy anything that sounds DEI-related” movement found a target-rich environment in the arts and went to work. Thus it was that President Donald Trump all but named himself head of the Board that runs the Center, bringing loyalists with him to police the place and drive out any and all drag or LGBTQ performances. In a delicious twist, Trump also named one of his few “out” gay followers as interim-Director in Richard Grenell. Fabulous, keep that edge.
To say that the old board, the patrons of the center, and the artists themselves didn’t appreciate the hostile takeover would be putting it with near irresponsible understatement. It is almost stunning to hear that there was a significant audience last night for the National Symphony Orchestra – but on reflection, it would be abnormal for patrons to not support the musicians themselves. Thus it was that the stage was set, literally, for a serious show of displeasure when administration figure and national Vice-President J.D. Vance took his seat last night with his wife as the concert was about to begin. From a report in The Washington Post. (Video below):
When Vice President JD Vance took his seat Thursday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington, he was met with a chorus of boos from the packed concert hall. Vance and the second lady, Usha Vance, were attending a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra, which was already seated onstage when the crowd spotted the pair and erupted into loud boos and shouts for more than 30 seconds.
Thursday’s concert started 30 minutes late, after attendees waited in a long security line that packed the grand foyer ahead of the vice president’s arrival. After the outburst, patrons quickly settled into an attentive, quiet respect for the musicians, in a kind of whiplash. But intermission was full of people debriefing about what they had just experienced, a rarity in such venues.
The symphony was already on stage? It sounds almost like it was timed to suppress the temptation to boo all night. One can easily see why such an event would likely cause a stir. The Washingtonians at the symphony aren’t likely the type who typically get worked up about much of anything… but fck with their symphony, ballet, or opera and buddy you just put your ears and evening in their hands. The boos might get a curtain call.
BREAKING: JD Vance HUMILIATED and BOOED at the Kennedy Center
— Adam Parkhomenko (@adamparkhomenko.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:40:24.530Z
The sad thing is that the Kennedy Center didn’t need a fix. To the extent that the programming and vision was far left is just a risk one runs when dealing with modern fine art. To the extent that anyone is squeamish about anything it is one of those trade offs everyone makes in taking in art at that level. Try going to a Broadway show while refusing to support anyone in the LGTBQ community or anything progressive – you’ll be sitting nearly alone listening to… dunno, no one does. No one has ever tried it. Artists have been forever causing a stir with their eclectic eccentricities. In this area – the audience isn’t supposed to be too comfortable! Eschew them and well, eschew you.
And yet this administration’s blood lust for anything it deems too DEI-centered or simply “insufficiently loyal” leads it to take things over on basic principles – because it can. To the extent that it ruins what had been a jewel, known internationally for its prestige and class, so be it. It is doubtful that the Vances enjoyed getting booed. But it certainly isn’t going to register as a surprise. But again, try taking all things progressive, liberal, gay, or blue out of the performing arts and you’re left with… Well… Dunno, we’ll find out. Booooo
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I really loathe those UGLY, RW Civil-War Beards! Certainly “fits” though….
I doubt Donnie has ever voluntarily attended a Broadway show, unless it was a fundraiser and he hoped to.get his ugly mug in the Post.Very few artists are rwnj. I suppose he could name Kid Rock as Artist in Residence, and stage Hamlet with James Woods and Jon Voigt and Patricia Heaton ( (though she doesn’t like him.very much). The Kennedy Center is gonna be dark for a lot of performances.