WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is attending a performance of Les Misérables on June 11 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a cultural institution he has sharply criticized in the past for promoting “woke” programming.
“We've seen it a number of times. It's fantastic,” Trump told reporters as he walked in with First Lady Melania Trump. “We have others coming—other great ones are coming.”
The performance of Les Misérables marks Trump’s first attendance at a show since the leadership change.
"President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is revitalizing historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former greatness," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told The Epoch Times in a statement.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the center for hosting drag shows and other programming he views as inconsistent with traditional American values.
The Trump administration is now planning a major renovation of the center, which Trump says has been suffering from years of mismanagement and disrepair.
During a visit on March 17 to attend a board meeting, Trump said he was “very disappointed” with the condition of the facility.
“It’s in tremendous disrepair,” he said. “We’ll make it great again,” and added that he would work with Congress to secure the necessary funding.
Republican lawmakers have proposed allocating $257 million for the renovation.
The Les Misérables performance also serves as a big fundraiser for the center, with ticket prices ranging from $100,000 to as high as $2 million.
Trump said the Kennedy Center raised over $10 million through the show.
“We're going to make it incredible. We have all the funding,” Trump told reporters before the show.
Paolo Zampolli, a new board member and longtime Trump ally, described the event as a clear demonstration of the president’s commitment to revitalizing the Kennedy Center.
“It truly shows how much the president supports our center and cares about it,” Zampolli told The Epoch Times.
He described the Kennedy Center as the country’s “crown jewel” and said that “the president is fully behind it.”
Zampolli, who also serves as Trump’s Special Envoy for Global Partnership, acknowledged that renovating the center would involve substantial work. Much of it, he said, includes basic maintenance such as repairing decades-old infrastructure.
“Everything should be done without disrupting the day-to-day business of the center,” he added.
Trump’s new appointees to the Kennedy Center board include Vice President JD Vance’s wife Usha Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, singer Lee Greenwood, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, and Allison Lutnick, wife of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Trump attended the Les Misérables opening night alongside First Lady Melania Trump, the vice president, and the second lady.
The performance sold out, according to the Kennedy Center’s website. The show will run through July 13.
Based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, Les Misérables is set in 19th-century France and tells “an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption,” according to its website.
Its famous songs include “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” and “One Day More.”
Despite the excitement around the event, some cast members have reportedly considered boycotting the performance due to Trump’s attendance.
In March, Vance was booed while attending a concert with his wife.
“I couldn't care less. Honestly, all I do is run the country well,” Trump said in response to a question about potential boycotts by the cast.
“There's no inflation. People are happy. People are wealthy. The country is getting back to strength again. That's what I care about.”
New Vision
Trump appointed Richard Grenell, his envoy for special missions, as the Kennedy Center's new president.In a recent interview with The Epoch Times, Grenell outlined Trump’s vision for the performing arts venue.
He said that Trump believes, as an arts institution that receives federal funding, the center must “give the public what they want.”
“You should do big blockbuster musicals. You should do the traditional Nutcracker at Christmastime. You should do the big art things that appeal to the masses,” Grenell said.
He indicated that this new plan would also help solve the center’s monetary issues.
“The financial situation is dire,” Grenell said, noting that the building itself is “in really dire shape” because of deferred maintenance and the center’s lack of funds for proper maintenance.
The Washington mainstay “should be the premier center in the nation’s capital for the arts,” he said.
In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to create a National Cultural Center.
President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy were substantial supporters of the project, launching a $30 million fundraising campaign for its construction in November 1962.
Fake Bomb Threat
The Kennedy Center made headlines recently after a fake bomb threat targeting Shen Yun Performing Arts led to an evacuation of the venue on Feb. 20.This incident was the latest in a series of threats faced by the world-renowned classical Chinese dance company over the past year.
The New York-based arts group, which showcases what it calls “China before communism,” has been a frequent target of the Chinese Communist Party.
“Don’t disrupt it,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a March 17 news briefing about the threats.
“This administration will take that very seriously and hold you accountable.
“We obviously condemn any violence or threats of violence against American institutions.”
