Trump Says He Has Ended “Woke” Programming at Kennedy Center

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that, in his capacity as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he has “reversed” what he called a decline at the institution by ending “woke political programming.” In a series of remarks, Trump claimed the changes are restoring the Washington, D.C., venue as “the premier stage for performing arts anywhere in the world.” Trump did not specify which productions had been curtailed or what new programs are planned, and the Kennedy Center has not yet commented on his assertions. Under federal statute, the sitting president serves as the center’s ex-officio chairman, but day-to-day operations are overseen by a separate board and professional management. Funding for the Kennedy Center comes from ticket sales, private donations and an annual congressional appropriation.