President Trump is taking center stage at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. “We are going to make a lot of changes,” he said earlier this month, “including the seats, the decor, pretty much everything. It needs a lot of work.”
He’s directing many of those changes as the new chairman of the board. Out are all of President Joe Biden’s appointees, replaced with Trump allies.
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The Trump White House says an overhaul is needed because the marquee arts center is, in their words, “woke … and broke.”
Last month, Deborah Rutter was fired as president of the Kennedy Center after serving for more than a decade. Asked whether the arts institution is broke, Rutter replied, “The Kennedy Center has the most complicated financial model, and that is true of every nonprofit arts organization.”
It has a budget of $268 million, with $43 million coming from the federal government. In 2023, the Kennedy Center had a $6 million surplus, even though it is not supposed to be a money-making enterprise. “We’re a nonprofit organization,” Rutter said. “It’s not intended to make money.”
Its budget comes mostly from donations. Billionaire businessman and former chairman David Rubenstein has given more than $100 million. He, too, was fired last month. Rutter said, “To have us both leaving at the same time does cause me some worry, because of the sense of understanding of structure, decision-making, how we go about interpreting our mission, all of those kinds of things.”
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The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was founded in 1971 as a national cultural center and memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Its annual honors ceremony, which airs on CBS, features the best in music, theater and dance.
But now, conservatives charge the center is “too liberal,” highlighting three drag events last year, including a “Broadway Drag Brunch.”
Asked whether it was a mistake to host drag shows, Rutter replied, “I don’t think so. I believe that everybody in America has the opportunity to be seen, and to be seen at your national cultural center.”
She pointed out that the shows Trump referred to in a social media post (“THIS WILL STOP,” he promised) represented just three of the 2,000 performances that took place at the Kennedy Center last year.
Asked why the focus was on three drag shows, Rutter replied, “I can’t actually imagine. Drag has been around for centuries. Shakespeare performed in drag, the original Shakespeare.”
President Trump boycotted the Kennedy Center Honors during his first term, after criticism from honorees like Norman Lear. So, what does the new chairman have planned now? In audio obtained by “CBS Sunday Morning,” he suggests a new host – himself:
“The king of ratings, right? Whether we like it or not, the king of ratings! So, if I was the host of the Honors, and we’ll go slightly more conservative, if you don’t mind, with some of the people…”
So, what kind of people does President Trump want to honor? Paolo Zampolli, a longtime friend of the president who has been on the board since 2020, said, “There were mentioned a list of people, I remember the name of Pavarotti. I remember the name of Andrea Bocelli. They wanted to do something about Elvis Presley.”
Zampolli has suggested changes to make the Kennedy Center “better”: “We’re on the Potomac River. We could have a little marina where in the weekend boats can come, and nice cafes, nice location where they can spend the weekend there and make it like a destination. Other things that I suggested is branch franchises around the world.”
Another idea? Sending art to the International Space Station. “My idea was to have, not Michelangelo, not Picasso, but you know, living contemporary artists to create very small pieces of art,” Zampolli said, “One that can be displayed inside the ISS. One can be thrown in LEO, low orbit, that can circulate in the orbit. And one can be auctioned on the ground of the Kennedy Center, because they need to raise money.”
Some artists (including those who are LGBTQ) have expressed the belief that they won’t be welcome at the Kennedy Center. But Zampolli said, “I don’t think the president have anything against these kind of people. I don’t understand what is things ‘inclusion’ or this ‘woke.’ The Kennedy Center is accessible for everybody, and has to represent the agenda of America.”
Not everyone agrees. One thing you won’t see at the Center is the musical “Hamilton.” Producers cancelled shows after President Trump became chairman. The president’s response? “I never liked ‘Hamilton’ very much. I never liked it.”
There have been several other high-profile cancellations and resignations; and Vice President JD Vance was boo-ed at a recent performance.
Musician Ben Folds is among those who resigned, after serving as the artistic advisor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the Center. He was part of the Kennedy Center’s leadership during the first Trump administration.
Asked whether there was any political involvement then, Folds replied, “Never saw anything like this. This is new, and it was quite sudden. Let’s say I get in an artist that has different views than the president. Do they feel safe being themselves? Do they feel safe saying what they believe? They’re not political shows, but you can express what you’d like to.”
And is that no longer the case? “Well, I suspect it’s no longer the case,” Folds said. “There is an instinct, an authoritarian instinct, that is true in all authoritarian times in history: Take control of the culture, take control of the arts early on.”
“Sunday Morning” reached out to the White House and the Kennedy Center for this story. No one responded to our request for interviews.
Asked what is the hardest part of these changes, Rutter replied, “I think the sting is the disregard for expertise and experience. We were working toward something extraordinary.”
Now, Rutter says she hopes the institution’s founding message isn’t forgotten. “I often go back to Eisenhower’s words, and then Kennedy’s words, to think about, who are we? What do we do? We believe that all of Americans should be seen and should feel welcome at the Kennedy Center.”
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Story produced by Sara Kugel and Julie Morse. Editor: Carol Ross.
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