President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended a performance of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday night, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha.
The show featured understudies, and Trump’s appearance sparked controversy due to planned protests from some performers.
On the red carpet, a reporter asked Trump how he felt about the actors’ planned boycott. “I couldn’t care less, all I do is run the country well,” he responded.
This marked Trump’s first visit to the Kennedy Center since appointing himself chairman in February, after dismissing several board members. He also named Richard Grenell as executive director. At the time, Trump criticized the center for its condition and claimed prior leadership promoted drag shows targeting youth.
“We want to bring it back better than ever,” Trump said, promising renovations and a return to traditional programming. Following these changes, stars like Shonda Rhimes and Ben Folds cut ties with the center. Pride Month events and LGBTQ-themed programming, including the children’s musical Finn, were canceled or moved, triggering backlash. In response, drag queens crashed Wednesday’s performance in protest. Videos shared online showed moments of applause and cheers from parts of the audience. Trump praised Grenell’s leadership and reminisced about his first theater experience, saying it was likely Cats. When asked whether he identified more with Javert or Jean Valjean from Les Misérables, Trump laughed and deferred the question to Melania, who remained silent.
