United States President Trump (Donald Trump) attended a fundraising performance of “Les Misérables” at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday (June 11). In the past, the Kennedy Center has faced harsh criticism from Trump for promoting “woke” content in its programs.
When Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walked into the venue, they told reporters, “We’ve seen it several times already, this production is fantastic.” “We’ll definitely come back, there are other great performances coming up.”
In February of this year, Trump significantly restructured the leadership of the Kennedy Center, appointing his own chosen board members and personally taking over as the chairman of the Kennedy Center board, replacing billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the Carlyle Group, David Rubenstein.
Wednesday’s fundraising performance was the first event Trump attended after reshuffling the board.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Epoch Times, “President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is committed to restoring historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former glory.”
Trump has criticized the Kennedy Center multiple times for hosting drag shows and other programs he believes are contrary to traditional American values. Additionally, he mentioned the Kennedy Center has long suffered from poor management and aging facilities, leading the government to plan a large-scale renovation of the center.
During a board meeting on March 17, Trump expressed being “very disappointed” with the condition of the facilities. “The condition of the facilities is very bad,” Trump said. “We will make it glorious again.” He added that the government will work with Congress to secure the necessary funds. Currently, Republican lawmakers have proposed allocating $257 million for the renovation project.
Besides government funding, “Les Misérables” is also a crucial fundraising channel for the Kennedy Center, with ticket prices ranging from $100,000 to $2 million. Trump anticipated that the performance on Wednesday would raise over $10 million.