Who’s Canceling on the Kennedy Center Under Trump?
Issa Rae is out, W. Kamau Bell is in, and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington got canceled on.
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In the wake of several resignations from the board of directors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts due to President Trump’s takeover, Issa Rae announced that she’s no longer performing her show, An Evening with Issa Rae, at the venue. But she’s just one of many who has canceled an upcoming performance, or had one canceled by the Trump admin.
Issa’s out
On February 13, Issa Rae wrote on Instagram Stories, “Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue.” She followed the news with a meme featuring Tiffany Pollard from Flavor of Love with Trump edited in.
Rae isn’t the only performer canceling their show at the D.C. venue. On the same day as Rae’s statement, the band Low Cut Connie announced they were canceling their March 19. “I was very excited to perform as part of this wonderful institution’s Social Impact series, which emphasizes community, joy, justice and equity through the arts. Upon learning that this institution that has run non-partisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime, I decided I will not perform there,” singer Adam Weiner said on Instagram.
The Kennedy Center canceled the touring children’s musical Finn. In a post on Instagram, show creators Chris Nee, Michael Kooman, and Christopher Dimond shared a statement breaking the news to their audience. They wrote: “While not a surprise given the events of the last week, it is a heartbreak. But we will not be silenced. And we will not abandon the kids we wrote this show for. They are already under attack from every side. We didn’t ask for this joy bomb of a show to be a part of the resistance, but here we are.” The Kennedy Center reportedly told Deadline it was a “strictly financial decision” to cancel the tour.
W. Kamau Bell’s still in
W. Kamau Bell took the stance, essentially, of I was here first, motherfucker. “I think Joe Biden was still running for president when the show was booked,” Bell told NPR on February 17. “So like, this was not connected to any of this.” It’s the same one many people who remain on Twitter have, and why they will never call it X. Bell also said his main commitment was to the residents of Washington D.C. rather than the White House. “The Kennedy Center is in a city called Washington, D.C. So as much as MAGA runs the White House, maybe they don’t run Washington, D.C. And Washington, D.C., has always been a bright blue, progressive place,” he said. “If you want to move the White House to Branson, Mo., understandably you would program the Kennedy Center in a different way.”
Trump canceled on the Gay Men’s Chorus
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington D.C. issued a statement explaining that their performance with the National Symphony Orchestra has been canceled. “The piece was intended to be a part of the Kennedy Center’s Pride celebration and we were very excited to be collaborating with the NSO as their guest chorus,” the statement read in part. “We will continue to advocate for artistic expression that reflects the depth and diversity of our community and country. We will continue to sing and raise our voices for equality.” Trump posted to Truth Social about stopping the “The Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows,” and this is perhaps what he meant. The GMCW will still perform the piece they’d intended to do at the Kennedy Center as part of World Pride 2025.
What about Conan?
Conan O’Brien is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this year, an event put on by the Kennedy Center. It remains to be seen whether his ceremony will be affected by the changes at the KenCen. The date for the ceremony has not been set, but Netflix is supposed to be filming the festivities.
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