President Donald Trump can not go one day without making some outrageous comments. He has again stirred new controversy during a speech at the Kennedy Center. He sharply criticized the institution’s programming during the last democratic administration. He linked it to what he called “rampant political propaganda.”
After taking over the office, Donald Trump has replaced the whole board of the Kennedy Center with people of his choice. Most of the board members were fired by him and many left on their own accord.
He addressed an audience that included newly appointed Trump-aligned board members. During this address, he condemned several events that had been held under previous leadership. He particularly aimed at LGBTQ+ programs and audiences.
He took aim at programming designed for queer and transgender youth. He called it “inappropriate” and sarcastically distanced himself from the language. “They had dance parties for, quote, ‘queer and trans youth,’ and I guess that’s all right for certain people, quote” he said.
He also mocked a “Marxist anti-police performance” and criticized an “exclusively lesbian Shakespeare” show, adding, “Who thinks of these ideas, really?”
Donald Trump has long held the view that “woke” culture was infiltrating American institutions and, therefore, rendering them unethical and unnatural. His comments were the latest in a series of attacks on these “woke” practices.
The Kennedy Center was filled with Rampant Woke Propaganda
They held..
— Dance parties for trans youth
— Marxist anti police performances
— Lesbian only Shakespeare“Who thinks of these ideas?” 🤣https://t.co/AukIA73jMz
ReTWEET pic.twitter.com/NqzWA7FyQt
— Whiplash347 (@Whiplash437) May 20, 2025
His remarks were met with approval from attendees. However, several LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and artists accused him of using marginalized communities as political targets.
Trump also claimed the Kennedy Center had fallen into physical and operational disrepair. “When we took over in recent months, the Kennedy Center was in dire shape,” he said. “The building is falling apart. I don’t want to scare people—it’s in fine shape—but it’s falling apart.”
He used the moment to promise major changes. Trump proposed a return to more mainstream and traditionally popular productions, such as Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera.
Kennedy Center To Include Non-Equity Theater Productions Following Donald Trump Complaintshttps://t.co/NoEyZRuTu9
— Tommy Lightfoot Garrett (@LightfootInHwd) May 19, 2025
He claimed that Broadway staples would restore the institution’s reputation and public appeal. He encouraged attendees and the broader public to buy tickets and support the new direction.
Trump also stated that federal funding would be needed to fully restore the Kennedy Center. He pledged to work with Congress to secure money for repairs and new programming.
In a scathing critique, Donald Trump laid blame for the center’s struggles squarely on its former leadership. He accused them of financial mismanagement and claimed they left behind a $26 million deficit.
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Kennedy Center Director Rick Grinnell said they have discovered $26M in “fraud” in the form of “fake revenue” that was reported the last two years. He said he is making a criminal referral to AG Bondi, who sits on the Board, calling it criminal fraud while… pic.twitter.com/V5ITs2jSBb
— Plein Crazy (@PleinCrazy) May 20, 2025
He characterized the financial state of the Center as symbolic of a broader national decline. He also tied its condition to poor governance and ideological excesses across other public institutions.
The dinner was attended by notable conservative figures, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Second Lady Usha Vance and singer Lee Greenwood.
Trump positioned his arts agenda as a counter to what he sees as radical, divisive programming. Trump promised to reorient the Kennedy Center with a focus on traditional performances and a push for patriotic values. He wants the Kennedy Center to move toward what he described as a more “American” and “respected” direction.
