Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who was known for her grace and elegance, served as an honorary chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which was named after her late husband. The center was initially proposed by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1959 as a cultural hub.
Recently, President Donald Trump announced on social media that he would be taking over as chairman of the Kennedy Center, just weeks after being sworn in for his second term as president. He also mentioned that he had terminated multiple individuals from the board of trustees, including chairman David Rubenstein, due to differences in vision for arts and culture.
Trump criticized the Kennedy Center for featuring drag shows that he believed were inappropriate for youth, and emphasized the need for the center to highlight the brightest talent from across the country. While Trump has not publicly spoken out against drag, he has made efforts to limit transgender participation in sports and federal funding for non-compliant schools.
Rubenstein, who has been chairman since 2010, was said to be retiring in January 2025 according to an old news release on the center’s website. He is now set to lead the Kennedy Center Foundation, a new organization created to advance philanthropic support for the center.
The Kennedy Center, a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, hosts over 2,000 performances annually and is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera. The center attracts millions of visitors each year and is an important cultural institution in the United States.
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