Canceled shows and record lows: How Trump is killing the Kennedy Center
It isn't just the Kennedy Center's reputation that's collapsing — ticket sales and broadcast views are down significantly.
January 1, 2026
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trump kennedy center
Facing Boycott, Trump Quits Kennedy Center Honors
The White House said Trump and the first lady have backed out of attending the annual Washington event.
August 19, 2017
Trump-controlled Kennedy Center forces relocation of WorldPride events
The worldwide LGBTQ+ celebration begins on May 17.
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April 28, 2025
Drag artists who crashed Donald Trump's first Kennedy Center show want him to know: 'You can’t erase us'
“Knowing he would be there made my attendance more crucial," drag queen Mari Con Carne told The Advocate.
June 12, 2025
Harvey Fierstein drags Trump-led Kennedy Center, reveals he was banned
The Tony Award-winning actor and writer shared an emotional statement criticizing Donald Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center.
March 18, 2025
Kennedy Center scrubs LGBTQ+ Pride concert after Donald Trump takeover
The show by the National Symphony Orchestra, “A Peacock Among Pigeons,” has been scrubbed from the entertainment venue’s website and ticketing system. It was scheduled for WorldPride this summer.
February 13, 2025
Trump taps gay MAGA loyalist Ric Grenell as interim head of Kennedy Center
The longtime ally was given a title that doesn’t exist at the prestigious performance arts institution.
February 11, 2025
Trump hosting the Kennedy Center Honors will be like watching a crappy variety show from the 1970s
Opinion: Trump won’t only make us relive the 1970s for one night — he’s working on trapping us there for three more years, writes John Casey.
August 14, 2025
Drag artists and allies rally against Trump's anti-LGBTQ+ Kennedy Center takeover (in photos)
"This president is demonizing a marginalized community in order to control the arts in America. It’s shameful, immoral, and weak," one performer told The Advocate before the march.
March 10, 2025
Drag artists organize rally outside Kennedy Center to protest Trump's hostile takeover
A collective of drag artists is taking to the streets of Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
March 7, 2025
Hundreds of drag queens, activists & LGBTQ+ allies converge on Kennedy Center to protest Trump’s takeover
“We’re not going to let people steal our joy,” D.C. drag queen Tara Hoot said.
February 14, 2025
Trump's gay Kennedy Center president demands $1M from performer who canceled Christmas Eve show
Jazz artist Chuck Redd called off the performance over Donald Trump adding his name to the venue.
December 29, 2025
Kennedy Center plagued with dismal ticket sales as patrons stay away under Trump's anti-LGBTQ+ takeover
It’s worse than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a deadly virus kept people away from public places.
October 31, 2025
Drag group slams Donald Trump for takeover of Kennedy Center board and vowing to end drag shows
Trump said that he was specifically motivated to overhaul the center so he could end the drag shows it occasionally hosts.
February 10, 2025
Trump culture warrior Ric Grenell calls for ‘diversity & inclusion’ after JD Vance got booed at Kennedy Center
“Diversity is our strength," Grenell said after Donald Trump has spent weeks railing against DEI.
March 14, 2025
Fresh off taking control of D.C. police, Trump announces he’ll host CBS's Kennedy Center Honors TV broadcast
He also said he chose “98 percent” of this year’s honorees.
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August 13, 2025
Decoding Trump's strange obsession with the Kennedys
Opinion: With fixations on the JFK files, the Kennedy Center, RFK Jr., and former First Lady Jacqueline, Trump tries to be a Kennedy, writes John Casey.
March 20, 2025
Lin-Manuel Miranda: 'Easy decision' to cancel 'Hamilton' at Kennedy Center
After President Donald Trump overhauled the Kennedy Center board, the team behind Hamilton refused to perform. Here's what Miranda has to say about the decision months later.
September 4, 2025
Trump loves Betty Buckley, but the LGBTQ+ ally doesn't love him
He mused about the Broadway star at his first Kennedy Center board meeting.
March 19, 2025
Art Museum of the Americas cancels Black & LGBTQ+ exhibitions after Trump’s DEI crackdown
“Nobody uses that word in art — terminated,” one of the curators said.
February 27, 2025
The Kennedy Center may ban drag but will feature a lot of men in dresses this season
Donald Trump ordered a ban on drag shows at the Washington, D.C., venue, but programmers under Ric Grenell managed to find a lot of plays where drag plays a central role.
May 25, 2025