The Les Misérables performance also serves as a big fundraiser for the center, with ticket prices reaching as high as $2 million.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is set to attend a performance of Les Misérables on June 11 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a cultural institution he has sharply criticized in the past for promoting “woke” programming.
In February, Trump overhauled the center’s leadership, replacing the entire board with his appointees. And he succeeded billionaire philanthropist and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein as the new chair of the center.
The performance of Les Misérables will mark Trump’s first attendance at a show since the leadership change.
“President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is revitalizing historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former greatness,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told The Epoch Times in a statement.
“I love the songs, I love the play,” Trump told Fox News Digital on June 3 about Les Misérables.
“The Kennedy Center is coming back,” he added. “It was not properly taken care of, and we are taking it back, and we are going to turn it back into something great.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized the center for hosting drag shows and other programming he views as inconsistent with traditional American values.
The Trump administration is now planning a major renovation of the center, which Trump says has been suffering from years of mismanagement and disrepair.
During a visit on March 17 to attend a board meeting, Trump said he was “very disappointed” with the condition of the facility.
“It’s in tremendous disrepair,” he said. “We’ll make it great again,” and added that he would work with Congress to secure the necessary funding.
Republican lawmakers have proposed allocating $257 million for the renovation.
The Les Misérables performance also serves as a big fundraiser for the center, with ticket prices reaching as high as $2 million.
According to Paolo Zampolli, a new board member and longtime Trump ally, the event raised a significant sum, though he declined to disclose the total.
“It truly shows how much the president supports our center and cares about it,” Zampolli told The Epoch Times.
By Emel Akan
