JD Vance booed at Kennedy Center concert following Donald Trump’s takeover
On March 13th, when attempting to attend what was planned to be celebratory night for Donald Trump’s administration, Vice President JD Vance was loudly booed when he entered the auditorium at the Kennedy Center.
This is in response to one of the presidential administration’s many moves to gain more power in the United States. Their takeover of the Kennedy Center was further proof of this, and members of the country’s artistic community have reacted furiously, with Ben Folds resigning from his role at the institution in response.
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. However, Trump has taken issue with the programming at the institution, especially as it hosts drag shows.
The centre has always been run as an example of bipartisan representation. Despite being a memorial for a president, it has always run independently of the government. However, in February 2025, Trump dismissed the board members, appointed new members connected to himself or his administration, and then was appointed chairman by them, allowing him control of the institution.
Since then, a number of artists have cancelled their shows at the centre in protest, and other trustees have also stepped down.
Last night, when JD Vance tried to attend a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra at the venue, he was loudly booed by the crowd. However, despite the tension, he stayed the entire duration of the show.
Meanwhile, last week, it was revealed the hit Broadway show Hamilton will no longer be visiting the cultural institution next spring.
“This latest action by Trump means it’s not the Kennedy Center as we knew it,” the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, said in a joint interview with the New York Times with Hamilton’s lead producer, Jeffrey Seller. “The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We’re just not going to be part of it.”
Seller also stated that the entire team behind Hamilton are furious with Trump who they believe has “took away our national arts center for all of us.”
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