Trump touts himself as Kennedy Center awards host, saying he is ‘king of ratings’
Touring the Kennedy Center in Washington for the first time since his controversial takeover in February, Donald Trump criticized its buildings, mused about hosting its annual honors ceremony since he was “the king of ratings, whether we like it or not”, and took a shot at a hit musical that canceled its run in protest of his actions.
“I never liked Hamilton very much,” the president said.
Two weeks earlier, the Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller said the Broadway hit musical could not “in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center”.
The Kennedy Center is a prestige cultural venue on the banks of the Potomac. Trump toured it on Monday with an entourage including Susie Wiles, his White House chief of staff; the country singer and Trump Bible salesman Lee Greenwood; and the Fox News hosts Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said: “We’re here to have our first board meeting.”
The New York Times obtained a recording of that meeting.
According to the Times, the former NBC reality TV star proposed hosting the annual Kennedy Honors ceremony himself, because he was “the king of ratings, whether we like or not, the king of ratings”.
“If you announced that, every network will start bidding on it, going crazy, for whatever reason, that’s the way it is,” Trump said.
Trump reportedly mooted posthumous honors for two musical heroes, Elvis Presley and Luciano Pavarotti, and said: “We’re going to get some very good shows. I guess we have Les Mis coming.”
Les Misérables will play the Kennedy in June and July, a booking made before Trump was elected last November.
Trump also complained that it had not been possible to arrange a performance of “a little song” by Greenwood – possibly his hit, God Bless the USA – because “they wanted $30,000 to move a piano”.
The Kennedy Center opened in 1971, in memory of John F Kennedy, the 35th president, who was assassinated in 1963. On Monday, the Times said, Trump complained about the state of the buildings, criticizing recent renovations.
“The Kennedy Center is in tremendous disrepair,” Trump said. The former New York real estate mogul also reportedly criticized exterior columns – “It’s supposed to be covered by something, whether it’s marble or whatever, granite” – and promised to “bring [the building] into more modern times”.
“I thought it was very important to make this good,” Trump said. “It’s a very big part of the fabric of Washington DC.”
David Rubenstein, the billionaire philanthropist, was the longtime chairperson of the Kennedy Center before being ousted amid Trump’s takeover.
Trump said: “I know the person who was in charge of it and he’s a good man. I never realized this was in such bad shape.”
On Tuesday, Rubenstein did not immediately respond to a Guardian request for comment.
The Times reported that before the board meeting, Trump introduced a resolution giving him more oversight of the selection of art and artists. The paper quoted Trump as saying: “In the past … radical left lunatics … have been chosen. I didn’t like it.”
Noting the recent appearance on Kennedy Center walls of portraits of Trump; his wife, Melania Trump; the vice-president, JD Vance; and his wife, Usha Vance, the Times noted that the Vances attended a classical music concert last weekend.
As the Guardian reported, the second couple were subjected to boos and jeers as they took their seats. Greeted by shouts of “You’ve ruined this place,” the vice-president responded with a wave.
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