• Trump Appoints Himself Chair Of The Kennedy Center And Immediately Fire

    From Klaus Schadenfreude@21:1/5 to All on Sat Feb 8 19:45:00 2025
    XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.atheism

    Emperor Trump will appoint himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center
    for the Performing Arts, he said Friday.
    Trump plans to remove several members of the board of trustees, he said
    in a Truth Social post. A new board will be announced, with Trump as the chairman, he wrote.
    “The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest
    stars on its stage from all across our nation,” he wrote. “We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, Donald J. Trump!” In the
    same post, he criticized the center for holding “drag shows specifically targeting our youth.”
    The Kennedy Center has held several shows featuring local drag performers
    in recent years, according to its website.
    Presidents often reward top party donors with appointments to the world- renowned cultural institution on the Potomac River in Washington. It is
    home to the Washington National Opera and the National Symphony
    Orchestra. The center’s board has 36 trustees serving six-year terms.
    The Kennedy Center’s departing chairman, the billionaire investor and philanthropist David Rubenstein, previously announced he would step down
    from the board of trustees in January 2025, after 14 years. Rubenstein
    later amended that timeline, saying he would step down as chairman in
    September 2026. The co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group was expected to become head of the newly formed Kennedy Center Foundation, to provide national philanthropic support for the Kennedy Center, the center
    had said.
    President Joe Biden presented David Rubenstein with the Medal of Freedom
    last month.
    Rubenstein didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
    The Kennedy Center said it was aware of Trump’s social-media post but
    hasn’t received any official communication from the White House about
    changes to its board of trustees. Some board members have received
    termination notices from the Trump administration, the center said.
    “There is nothing in the Center’s statute that would prevent a new administration from replacing board members; however, this would be the
    first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center’s board,”
    said the organization. Rubenstein was originally appointed to the Kennedy Center board by President George W. Bush and was reappointed by
    Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

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