Issa Rae cancels show at Kennedy Center following Donald Trump becoming chairman
American actor and writer Issa Rae has cancelled her show at The Kennedy Centre in protest of President Donald Trump taking control of the cultural institution. This comes only days after screenwriter Shonda Rhimes and singer-songwriter Ben Folds also resigned from their positions there.
Since opening in 1971, the Kennedy Center in Washington has been a bustling memorial to President Kennedy. The institution hosts a diverse range of cultural events and performances, from jazz to modern music, talks from authors, or lectures from speakers.
It has also always been a public-private partnership, meaning that its programming is sustained through a private fund and run by a board of trustees. Despite being a memorial for a former president, it has previously always run independently of the government in a tradition of bipartisan representation.
That was until February 2025, when Trump announced his intention to dismiss the board members, appoint new members connected to himself or his administration, and then have them appoint him as chairman. On February 12th, this plan came to fruition as Trump was voted in as chairman, allowing him control of the institution.
Trump has expressed issues with the centre’s programming. “We don’t need to be woke at the Kennedy Center,” he said. He especially criticised the drag shows hosted at the venue, saying, “Some of the shows were terrible, a disgrace that they were even put on.”
In response, several people have taken a stand against Trump’s latest move. Shonda Rhimes and Ben Folds both retrospectively resigned from their positions as treasurer and artistic adviser. Now, Issa Rae has cancelled her upcoming sold-out show at the centre.
“Thank you so much for selling out the Kennedy Center for An Evening with Issa Rae,” she said in a statement on her Instagram Stories, “Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue.”
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