WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to turn around what he characterized as “tremendous despair” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on his first visit to the Washington cultural institution since he wiped members from its board and named himself its chairman. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to turn around what he characterized as “tremendous despair” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on first visit to the Washington cultural institution since he wiped members from its board and named himself its chairman
  • The president specifically lamented recent renovations to the Foggy Bottom building and pledged to work with Congress to fix it, noting he will meet with House Speaker Mike Johnson in the “not to distant future"
  • Trump's decision to fire members of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, including its chair, and replace them with people close to his administration led to concerns from some in the arts and entertainment industry
  • The president also used his stop to announce he was releasing 80,000 documents related to the assassination of the Kennedy Center’s namesake on Tuesday

“I'm very disappointed when I look around. The bottom line: It has tremendous potential,” Trump said during Monday’s visit, which included him leading a meeting of its board and taking a tour. 

The president specifically lamented recent renovations to the Foggy Bottom building and pledged to work with Congress to fix it, noting he will meet with  House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in the “not to distant future.” The more than five-decades-old cultural center, named after former President John F. Kennedy, receives some federal funding for repairs and maintenance, but most of its functions are paid for through ticket sales and donations, according to its website. 

Trump's decision to fire members of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, including its chair, and replace them with people close to his administration —  such as his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and Vice President JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance — led to concerns from some in the arts and entertainment industry. Several artists have canceled performances in the wake of the decision. 

The president referred to the center as a “big part of the fabric of Washington.” He noted the importance of the institution and the nation’s capital city more broadly being in good condition when foreign leaders come to visit. 

“So we're going to spend a lot of effort, a lot of money on crime, and we're going to spend a lot on fixing up,” Trump said. 

Trump, who did not attend the annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremonies during his first term in the White House as other presidents have, also declared that he was going to have a “much bigger show” that would get “great ratings.” 

The president also used his stop to announce he was releasing 80,000 documents related to the assassination of the Kennedy Center’s namesake on Tuesday, a move that fulfills a campaign promise and executive order he signed in January.