In an unprecedented presidential action, Donald Trump abruptly ousted Kennedy Center president of a decade, Deborah Rutter, along with all 18 Democratic members of the board in February. After appointing 14 of his supporters to the board, including Second Lady Usha Vance, Trump (who has yet to attend a Kennedy Center production) was unanimously elected as Chair of the prestigious Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Under Trump’s leadership, the Kennedy Center’s shows have been severely disrupted, with shows being canceled and many performers boycotting.
Notably, Trump’s chairmanship of the Kennedy Center has led to the cancelation of multiple LGBTQIA+ shows. One of the shows canceled was A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride. Performed by The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) alongside the National Symphony Orchestra, the show was scheduled for May but was canceled by the Kennedy Center almost immediately after Trump became chair. The Chorus released a public statement expressing their disappointment in the cancellation and promising not to give up on their mission of equality within the arts. Since then, the GMCW has performed at The Town Hall in Manhattan before the production of Finn, another recently canceled Kennedy Center show. Finn’s Kennedy Center-produced national tour was canceled as a “financial decision,” despite the musical being sold-out since its premiere last year. The children’s musical is a heartwarming coming-of-age story, following a young shark who feels he’s never fit in with his grey and stoic shiver. The musical follows queer themes and was most likely cut as a result; afterall, the Kennedy Center faced criticism from Trump for being “too woke.”
In addition to the cancellation of LGBTQIA+ shows by the board of the Kennedy Center, other performances, such as Hamilton, which was set to perform in March 2026, have chosen to cancel their performances. Hamilton lead producer Jeffrey Seller took to Instagram, writing, “we are not acting against his administration, but against the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of his recent takeover… these actions bring a new spirit of partisanship to the national treasure that is the Kennedy Center.” In addition, the rock band Low Cut Connie has canceled their scheduled performance, posting on Instagram, “upon learning that this institution, which has been nonpartisan for 54 years, is now chaired by President Trump and his regime, I decided I will not perform there.”
Not only have Broadway hits and bands decided to cancel, but so have other authors and actors. For example, Canadian author Louise Penny, best known for her book The Grey Wolf, has also decided to cancel her upcoming visit to the Kennedy Center. Similarly, actress Issa Rae, canceled the sold-out show An Evening with Issa Rae because she believed Trump’s takeover to be “an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums.”
The controversial changes at the Kennedy Center under President Trump’s leadership have sparked backlash from all over the art community, as he ousted long-standing board members and replaced them with his supporters. Due to this, high-profile shows like Hamilton, Finn, and A Peacock Among Pigeons have been canceled, and many authors, producers, actors, and comedians have begun to publicly ostracize the Kennedy Center. While some artists will continue with their performances, the overall nonpartisanship of what the Kennedy Center used to represent has forever been shaken, and many performers have chosen to take their talents elsewhere. •