President Trump left the humanities world reeling along with his social media announcement Friday that he intends to nominate himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Middle for the Performing Arts in Washington and instantly terminate members of the board of trustees “who don’t share our Imaginative and prescient for a Golden Age in Arts and Tradition.”
Shortly after the information broke, the Kennedy Middle’s web site turned tough to open because of “excessive visitors,” in response to a be aware on its touchdown web page.
“The Kennedy Middle is conscious of the publish made not too long ago by [the president] on social media,” the humanities establishment mentioned in an announcement by e mail. “Now we have acquired no official communications from the White Home relating to modifications to our board of trustees. We’re conscious that some members of our board have acquired termination notices from the administration.”
In its assertion, the Kennedy Middle famous that since its inception, the establishment has “had a collaborative relationship with each presidential administration” and “a bipartisan board of trustees that has supported the humanities in a non-partisan style.”
The assertion additionally mentioned the chairperson of the board is appointed by the middle’s board members. “There’s nothing within the Middle’s statute that may forestall a brand new administration from changing board members; nonetheless, this could be the primary time such motion has been taken with the Kennedy Middle’s board,” the assertion mentioned.
Trump has lengthy had a contentious relationship with the establishment, thought-about one of many nation’s most prestigious avatars of tradition. In 2017, he and First Girl Melania Trump skipped the Kennedy Middle Honors after being criticized by honorees, marking solely the fourth time within the group’s historical past {that a} president was not in attendance.
The Kennedy Middle is a federal facility approved by an act of Congress in 1958 and maintains a public-private partnership with the federal authorities, which funds the constructing’s upkeep and operations. Its arts packages, performances and academic initiatives are paid for by way of ticket gross sales and presents from donors.
The present chairman for greater than a decade is businessman and philanthropist David M. Rubenstein. Rubenstein had deliberate to retire final month, however after Trump’s election, it was introduced that he would keep in his function for a further 12 months. Board members are appointed by the president. At current, the board has 36 members, a few of whom have been appointed by Trump throughout his first time period, together with Pam Bondi — now his lawyer normal — and his former Transportation secretary, Elaine Chao.
President Biden crammed a variety of board vacancies throughout his final weeks in workplace, naming, amongst others, political strategist Mike Donilon. Honorary chairs of the Kennedy Middle embody first girls Melania Trump, Jill Biden, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush.
“Simply final 12 months, the Kennedy Middle featured Drag Exhibits particularly focusing on our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” Trump wrote on his Fact Social platform. “The Kennedy Middle is an American Jewel, and should mirror the brightest STARS on its stage from all throughout our Nation.”
This isn’t the primary time within the early days of his second administration that Trump has taken a confrontational stance towards cultural organizations. Considered one of his first acts as president was to dissolve the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, which was established by President Reagan in 1982 to advise on problems with cultural and creative import.
Trump didn’t say in his social media publish which Kennedy Middle board members he deliberate to oust.
