The president has made efforts to reshape Washington’s Kennedy Center with its president, Richard Grenell.
In February, President Trump removed Kennedy Center board members that had been appointed by President Joe Biden and created a new board, chaired by himself.
The Kennedy Center is a cultural landmark in Washington, D.C. that is home to various performances, shows, arts education initiatives, and community events all centered around the performing arts.
In February, Trump named Richard Grenell as interim executive director of The Kennedy Center. He had previously served as acting director of national intelligence and U.S. ambassador to Germany during President Trump’s first term in office.
In a recent interview, Grenell pointed to President Trump’s leadership as a reason the performing arts are flourishing at The Kennedy Center.
“Broadway is struggling. Shows close very fast. Productions are losing money. People aren’t coming out to see these shows. And we want to change that,” Grenell said, referencing a New York Times article about the struggles of Broadway.
“President Trump was very keen to confront this issue of dying arts. And what he wanted to do is to do big commonsense productions that fill the audience. We’ve been selling out through ‘Les [Miserables]’ and through ‘The Sound of Music’ regularly, and this is exactly what I think the arts needs,” he continued.
President Trump and Grenell have worked to create an environment at The Kennedy Center that is welcoming to everyone and encourages guests to enjoy the performing arts.
“We want everyone to come to the Kennedy Center regardless of who you voted for. This is a place for everyone. And since I’ve arrived, we haven’t canceled a single show. We have just simply demanded that if you can’t sell enough seats with your production and you can’t find a sponsor to cover the cost then you’re on the hook. We just can’t have productions where we’re losing money,” he explained in the interview.
To build on President Trump’s goal to bring shows to The Kennedy Center that will draw a full audience, Vice President of PR Roma Daravi said the center is expanding its “programming to include more options and bring in fan-favorites that appeal to the masses.”
Trump wrote on social media in February when he assumed leadership of the venue, “At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. 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!”
