President Donald Trump said Friday he will terminate John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts chairman David Rubenstein and other board members of the Board of Trustees.
According to his post on Truth Social, he will take over as the chairman.
"At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. 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," said President Trump.
Rubenstein, who purchased the Baltimore Orioles in March 2024, serves on the Board of Trustees with 36 other members.
He was elected in 2010 as the center's sixth chairman in history.
According to a press release from the center, Rubenstein's role was extended to September 2026.
The Baltimore native became the largest individual contributor in the center's history, donating $111 million.
"Rubenstein has made an indelible imprint on the nation’s cultural center. Under his leadership, the Center has evolved into one of the most interactive arts and cultural destinations in the country," the center said while announcing Rubenstein's extension.
It's not quite clear if Trump has the authority to dismiss board members, but according to a statement from the Kennedy Center, it would be the first time in the center's history that would happen.
The center's full statement can be read here:
Throughout our history, the Kennedy Center has enjoyed strong support from members of congress and their staffs—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Since our doors opened in1971, we have had a collaborative relationship with every presidential administration. Since that time, the Kennedy Center has had a bi-partisan board of trustees that has supported the arts in a non-partisan fashion.
While we are a living memorial to President Kennedy, we are also a unique public-private partnership. The Center is supported by federal annual appropriations for the upkeep and maintenance of the building as a federal memorial, or approximately 16% of the total operating budget. Support for the Center’s artistic programming comes from ticket sales, donations, rental income, and other revenue sources.
The Kennedy Center is aware of the post made recently by POTUS on social media. We have received no official communications from the White House regarding changes to our board of trustees. We are aware that some members of our board have received termination notices from the administration.
Per the Center’s governance established by Congress in 1958, the chair of the board of trustees is appointed by the Center’s board members. There is nothing in the Center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board.
