Trump Made Chairman of the Kennedy Center After President Deborah Rutter Fired

President Trump has been made chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts following the firing of President Deborah Rutter.

Following Rutter’s firing, Trump aide and former ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell was named interim president while Trump replaced outgoing chair David Rubenstein.

“It is a Great Honor to be Chairman of The Kennedy Center, especially with this amazing Board of Trustees. We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!” the president announced on his Truth Social.

In a post on X, Richard Grenell revealed that, per the Kennedy Center CFO, the organization currently has “zero” cash on hand and “zero” in reserves.

“I was briefed today by the CFO of the Kennedy Center on its financial situation. She told me there is ZERO cash on hand. And ZERO in reserves. And the deferred maintenance is a crisis. For the past months they’ve been digging into the DEBT RESERVES. We must fix this great institution. The people working hard at the Nation’s premier performing arts center deserve better — and so do all Americans,” said Grenell.

According to the New York Times, the Kennedy Center “announced on Wednesday a new slate of board members — all appointed by Mr. Trump — and said in a statement that the new board elected Mr. Trump chairman and ‘terminated’ Ms. Rutter’s contract.” The Trump administration reportedly removed 18 board members who were appointed by former President Joe Biden.

In a statement Wednesday, Deborah Rutter said that she departed from her “position proud of all we accomplished.”

“The goal of the Kennedy Center has been to live up to our namesake, serving as a beacon for the world and ensuring our work reflects America,” she said. “I depart my position proud of all we accomplished to meet that ambition. From the art on our stages to the students we have impacted in classrooms across America, everything we have done at the Kennedy Center has been about uplifting the human spirit in service of strengthening the culture of our great nation.”

Several stars, including superstar soprano Renée Fleming, have said they will be cutting ties with the Kennedy Center as a result of the recent shakeup.

“I’ve treasured the bipartisan support for this institution as a beacon of America at our best,” Fleming said in a statement. “I hope the Kennedy Center continues to flourish and serve the passionate and diverse audience in our nation’s capital and across the country.”

Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.