The Kennedy Center in DC is no longer about art as Shonda Rhimes leaves, and Donald Trump is to blame.
Kennedy Center in DC has been the seat of art and culture in the capital and has always been a bipartisan institution. But Donald Trump has taken over the center and turned it into a republican agenda.
By Wednesday, Feb 12, Donald Trump had ousted all the members of the board of the Kennedy Center appointed by Joe Biden. The board was then left with his own appointees, who then selected Donald Trump as the Chairman.
Trump himself broke the news on his social media, Truth Social, though it was later reported by CNN that the vote was unanimous. This didn’t come as a surprise as the board is just now turning appointees such as Susie Wiles, his chief of staff, longtime aide Dan Scavino, and Second Lady Usha Vance.
Trump will now chair the @kennedycenter for the Performing Arts, built by Jackie Kennedy as a living monument to her late husband, John F. Kennedy pic.twitter.com/DBqJff4LW5
— Annie Gowen (@anniegowen) February 7, 2025
Trump, in his post, said it was an honor to be Chairman of the Kennedy Center, especially with the amazing board of trustees. He added that he hopes to make the center a very special and exciting place.
As a result of the complete takeover of the center, several trustees and advisors have resigned from the council. Most of them are Democrats and have openly voted for Vice President Kamal Harris. Among these is Shonda Rhimes, who was serving as treasurer for the Kennedy Center.
Shonda Rhimes was appointed by Barack Obama to the board and has been serving since. There was no way Shonda and Donald Trump could have seen eye to eye as she has been a vocal supporter of Ms. Harris. Trump’s war on Diversity, equity, and inclusion is in direct contrast to Ms. Rhymes’ efforts of inclusion.
👑 Shonda Rhimes resigned from Kennedy Center board 🔥 https://t.co/GSNGSRcixO pic.twitter.com/w6szpv9KHq
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) February 12, 2025
Her stories and productions make characters of every ethnicity visible and able. A good example of this is Bridgerton, who took Netflix by surprise with important roles being essayed by actors of color.
Shonda was part of the center even during President Trump’s first term.
During Trump’s first term, several honorees made it clear that they would boycott the traditional pre-reception at the White House. As a result, Trump declined to attend any ceremonies during his years in office and stayed away from the center and its activities.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump won’t attend Kennedy Center Honors amid planned boycotts https://t.co/97BUUyyzBd pic.twitter.com/8RtpgfcZjb
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 19, 2017
However, this time around, Donald Trump has taken control of several bipartisan institutions and placed his own appointees on the board, including the Kennedy center.
In retaliation for Trump’s efforts, Rhimes is not the only board member who has left. Ben Folds declared his resignation as the National Symphony Orchestra’s artistic adviser on Wednesday. Renée Fleming announced her departure as artistic adviser at large a few hours later.
Deborah Rutter has been replaced as interim president by Ric Grenell. She had previously declared last month that she would be leaving her position as president at the end of this year, after more than ten years in office, prior to the Trump purge.
With only Trump appointees on the board and with a mindset that does not include people of different colors or races in the American future, one wonders about the future the center is looking towards.
