Boos and cheers for Trump as he visits Kennedy Center for Les Mis
The president made his first visit to the prestigious arts venue since overhauling its board and attacking "woke" bookings.
Thursday 12 June 2025 02:22, UK
Les Miserables, what else.
The hit musical about anti-government protest is now showing at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Donald Trump was in the audience for Wednesday's performance for what amounts to a busman's holiday.
The narrative explores issues of social justice, love, and the enduring power of human compassion amidst a backdrop of poverty and revolution. Not everyone shares the president's vision of those themes.
Indeed his presence drew what can only be described as mixed reviews from his fellow theatre goers - cheers and boos in equal measure as he waved from the front row of the circle.
The script of Les Miserables barely presents a break from the day job - Trump won't be the only one getting a sense of art imitating life, as the real thing plays out on the streets of LA.
It is the first show the president has chosen to attend since he made sweeping changes at the iconic venue, prompting an outcry and accusations that he was politicising art and 'MAGAfying' the venerated institution.
According to CNN, a number of Les Miserables cast members had planned to sit out the performance in protest.
The Kennedy Center is a prestigious venue that showcases the best of American performance art.
More than 2,000 shows per year include the famous honours ceremony, an annual event that celebrates artists who have made a significant contribution to US culture.
Honourees through the years have included Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, the Grateful Dead and Francis Ford Coppola.
Following his election in November, Trump made himself chairman of the Kennedy Center's board and replaced members with political loyalists.
Traditionally, the board has been made up of individuals from across the political spectrum; after his election, Trump got rid of 18 members and replaced them with political soulmates, including his chief of staff Susie Wiles and Fox presenters Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo.
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Donald Trump signalled a change in artistic direction at the Kennedy Center when he wrote on social media of "Drag shows specifically targeting our youth", and said of its production schedule: "We didn't like what they were showing, we're going to make sure it's good and it's not going to be woke."
His changes prompted a number of acts to cancel shows at the venue in protest. The touring production of Broadway hit Hamilton cancelled dates, as did actor and producer Issa Rae, writer Louise Penny and Pulitzer Prize-winning folk musician Rhiannon Giddens.
Trump's attendance at the Les Mis performance was designed to boost fundraising, with donors paying up to $2m to attend a reception with the president.
Ticket sales and subscriptions have, reportedly, slumped since Trump's changes although the centre's management points out its campaign to renew subscriptions has been launched later this year than last.
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Trump watched the performance of Les Miserables from the presidential box, in the company of his wife, Melania.
Vice president JD Vance was also there. When he attended a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra in March with his wife, he was booed by members of the audience.