President Trump said Friday that he will end the terms of multiple members of the Kennedy Center board, chair the new board and at the helm of the Cultural Agency in Washington, D.C.
“I have decided to quickly close multiple individuals from the board, including the chairman who does not share our vision for the golden age of arts and culture. We will soon announce a new board. Amazing Chairman Donald J. Trump!” said the President.The true society.
He said his move is part of an effort to create a Kennedy Center named after former President John F. Kennedy and after “great” in northwestern Washington along the Potomac River. He said.
“Last year, the Kennedy Center featured a drug show targeting our youth. This stops. The Kennedy Center is an American gem and reflects the brightest stars on stage from our nation. We have to. The best ones haven't come yet for the Kennedy Center!” Trump said.
In response to the President's Friday night post, the Kennedy Center highlighted its historically “cooperative relationships with all presidential administrations,” saying it had not received information from the Trump administration about his move.
“The Kennedy Center is aware of recent posts made by Potus on social media,” the Center wrote Friday. “We have not received any official communication from the White House regarding changes to the board. We are aware that some members of our board have received termination notices from administration.”
The current chair of the Kennedy Center Council is billionaire philanthropist David Reubenstein, who was co-founder of the Carlisle Group and served as policy advisor to former President Carter.
Rubenstein also has connections with former President Biden, who stayed at his home in Nantucket on Thanksgiving last year. The annual Kennedy Center honors took place in December, and Rubenstein was a “graceful host” to Biden, who was in the audience, and attended the show for four years.
During Trump's first term, he defied tradition and refused to attend the honorary event after several of the award winners criticized him.
Early FridayRubenstein interviewed Trump's ally Elon Musk remotely at the JPMorgan Investment Conference.
Other members of the board include businessman Anthony Welters, who serves as vice-chairman, and Deborah Lutter, president, but last month she announced plans to step down later this year.
The president is currently appointing members to the board, including Attorney General Pam Bondy, Trump's tied lobbyist Brian Ballard, and Trump's supporter singer Lee Greenwood.
Other members include former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, longtime Biden advisor Mike Donilon, and Democratic consultant Stephanie Cutter.
Congress will designate members of former staff, including now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and will include health and human services once the secretary of the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services are confirmed.
The First Ladies are also the board's honorary chair, and First Lady Melania Trump is listed on the Kennedy Center website along with former First Ladies' Jill Biden, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.
The center said in a statement it was the first time the president has moved to deny board members.
Updated at 9:18pm on EST
