President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social Wednesday that he was “just unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.”
He then proceeded to quote himself calling it a “Great Honor.”
Who exactly voted “unanimously” for Trump? The Kennedy Center’s new “amazing Board of Trustees,” which remains a mystery since Trump announced last week that he will fire everyone and “soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!”
This is the first time a president has removed the predecessor’s board members in order to install himself as chair, according to the Washington Post.
On Monday, Trump named fake news purveyor Richard Grenell to lead the Kennedy Center. Grenell has a long and storied scumbag history from Trump’s first administration and beyond.
Deborah F. Rutter, who has served as the Kennedy Center’s president since 2014, reportedly told staff that she would be leaving immediately, despite previously saying she planned to stay through the end of 2025.
Singer/songwriter Ben Folds also announced his resignation from his role as an artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra.
“Given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO. Not for me,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “It's been a wonderful 8 years working with Kennedy Center President Deb Rutter, fellow artistic advisor Renee Fleming, and the entire NSO staff, encouraging thousands of fresh new audiences to appreciate symphonic music. Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation's symphony orchestra - just the best!”
This isn’t the first time Trump has stirred up drama at the Kennedy Center. In 2017, Trump refused to attend the Kennedy Center Honors after honorees like Normal Lear chose not to attend the ceremonial White House reception.
Whatever ends up happening with the Kennedy Center’s new board, get ready to hear a lot of “God Bless the USA” as sung by Bible salesman Lee Greenwood.
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