Trump visits the Kennedy Center as he puts his mark on the national arts institution

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday visited the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he took a tour and chaired a meeting of its board of directors.

It was his first time at the marquee arts institution since he began remaking it at the start of his second term in office. Trump fired the previous board of the Kennedy Center, writing on social media that they “do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.” He replaced them with loyalists, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, and installed himself as chairman.

The Republican president’s allies have complained that the Kennedy Center, which is known for its annual celebration of notable American artists, had become too liberal and “woke” with its programming.

Trump complained of “tremendous disrepair” Monday speaking to reporters ahead of the board meeting, saying the center “represents a very important part of D.C. and actually our country.” He expressed displeasure with the recent expansion of the complex, known as “The Reach,” which features studios, rehearsal spaces and meeting facilities, suggesting he would move to close up the spaces because they lack windows.

Trump also discussed plans to “improve very greatly” the Kennedy Center and its upcoming artistic programming.

“We are going to have some really good shows,” he said, adding, “The thing that does well are Broadway hits.”

FILE - The Kennedy Center is seen Aug. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) — FILE – The Kennedy Center is seen Aug. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Several artists and productions, including Broadway smash “Hamilton,” have backed out of performances at the Kennedy Center in protest of the Trump takeover. “I was never a big fan, I never liked ‘Hamilton’ very much,” Trump said in response.

Trump also complained about staging costs at the center, saying musician Lee Greenwood wanted to perform Monday at the first board meeting he chaired, but it would cost $30,000 to “move a piano.”

The Kennedy Center, which sits on the banks of the Potomac River, opened in 1971 and has enjoyed bipartisan support over the years.

However, Trump has a fraught relationship with it, dating to his first term as president. He skipped the annual honors ceremony each year he was in the White House. Trump posed for photos in the Opera House’s president’s box behind the presidential seal Monday.