Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha appeared completely unfazed when some elite DC attendees booed them Thursday evening at the Kennedy Center.
A viral video shared by The Guardian’s Andrew Roth captured the hostile reaction as the vice presidential couple took their seats in the box tier at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., during a symphony performance.
Despite the jeers and boos, Vance remained undaunted, offering an ironic smile and a casual wave while sipping his wine.
Shouts from the audience included, “You ruined this place!” and “Yeah, January 6th!”
At one point, someone else yelled out, “kill that light!”
Vance and his wife continued their conversation as if the commotion had never occurred, appearing completely indifferent to the crowd’s reaction. When the performance began, the booing faded, and they remained for the entire concert.
Thursday’s featured performance showcased the National Symphony Orchestra, which played works by Igor Stravinsky and Dmitri Shostakovich, including violinist Leonidas Kavakos’s rendition of Shostakovich’s “Violin Concerto No. 2.”
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Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump fired all 31 trustees of the Kennedy Center in an effort to purge the institution of what he viewed as leftist agendas. The move aligns with promises he made publicly on Truth Social as early as February 7, following his scathing review of the center’s programming.
The president appointed Richard Grenell, who served in Trump’s first administration and has been named as envoy for special missions during the current term, as the interim executive director of the center following his takeover of the venue.
Trump drew laughs when, during an Oval Office meeting with the prime minister of Ireland this week, he paused the meeting to take note of Vance’s attire.
Vance had donned a pair of socks adorned with shamrocks, as well as a green tie, ahead of the meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin. Trump was speaking about the economy and inflation when he suddenly paused and pointed out the socks.
“I love these socks! What’s with these socks? I’m trying to stay focused, but I’m gonna ask for the VP’s socks,” Trump said, drawing laughter from the VP, Martin, and others in the room.
In a post to the X platform that contained a video clip of the exchange, Vance wrote with an LOL emoji, “I knew he’d comment on these socks.”
Earlier in the day, Vance and the second lady hosted Martin and his wife at the Naval Observatory, the VP’s residence.
“In your honor I have worn these shamrocks,” Vance told Martin as he displayed his socks.
“I will say when we meet later in the Oval Office,” he said, “the president is a very big fan of conservative dress.”
Speaking to his guest, Vance added, “If he notices socks, you have to defend me in the Oval Office and say this is an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship, and that’s the only reason I’m wearing these socks.”
He added about the relationship between Ireland and the U.S.: “One of the things we try to do with this breakfast is just remind people of the important bonds of friendship between the United States and Ireland.”
Martin also spoke about the relationship, including the U.S. involvement in ending the conflict in Ireland between the Irish Republican Army and the British government. The IRA for decades sought to end Britain’s rule over Northern Ireland.