President Trump’s election as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday sparked a wave of resignations, including a pair of familiar names from the entertainment world.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced he was unanimously elected as chairman of the Kennedy Center.
“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees,” Trump posted. “We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!”
On Friday, Trump announced his plans to name himself chairman of the Washington, D.C. cultural institution and replace the board of trustees with his allies.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
“We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!” the president posted.
He also indicated that he would be dictating programming at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions, specifically declaring that he would end events featuring performers in drag.
Trump’s chairmanship began with the exodus of several Kennedy Center officials.
“The goal of the Kennedy Center has been to live up to our namesake, serving as a beacon for the world and ensuring our work reflects America,” Deborah Rutter, the center’s president, said in statement to NPR after the new board terminated her contract. “I depart my position proud of all we accomplished to meet that ambition. From the art on our stages to the students we have impacted in classrooms across America, everything we have done at the Kennedy Center has been about uplifting the human spirit in service of strengthening the culture of our great nation.”
Shonda Rhimes, the television showrunner known for overseeing “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal,” resigned from the center’s board, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Singer-songwriter Ben Folds also resigned from his position as artistic director of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center’s artistic affiliate. The orchestra has performed at the Kennedy Center since the facility opened in 1971.
“Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today, I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO,” Folds posted on Instagram.
“Not for me,” Folds added, before thanking Rutter and other center staff.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.