Trump appoints new head of cultural center – himself

Donald Trump intends to appoint himself as the new chairman of one of the USA's most venerable cultural institutions. "Under my leadership, we will make the Kennedy Center in Washington 'great again', writes the President on Truth Social.

» Published: February 08 2025

Trump appoints new head of cultural center – himself
Photo: Ben Curtis/AP/TT

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Donald Trump continues to turn the business upside down in Washington since he returned as president.

Now it's the turn of culture, where the president announces that he intends to dismiss several members of the Kennedy Center's board, including the chairman of the foundation behind the center, David M Rubenstein.

"We will soon present a new board, with a wonderful chairman, Donald J Trump", the president writes on his own social media platform, according to New York Times.

Trump is acting to change the direction of the cultural center's operations, he writes.

"As recently as last year, Kennedy Center had drag shows specifically aimed at young people – that will come to an end", Trump writes.

In a first statement, Kennedy Center acknowledges that it is within the president's power to replace the foundation's members.

"But this would be the first time it has happened with the Kennedy Center's board", the board writes.

Kennedy Center was founded in 1958 and is the USA's national institution for culture and also the home of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Opera.

The center is best known for Kennedy Center Honors, a kind of "hall of fame", which since 1978 has honored a few prominent American and international cultural personalities for their lifetime achievements each year.

Kennedy Center is supposed to be a non-political organization, but Trump broke with tradition by not attending the Kennedy Center galas during his first term, since several cultural personalities who were critical of him were awarded prizes.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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