President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appeared at the Kennedy Center Wednesday night where they attended a premiere of “Les Misérables” performed by understudies.
They were accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha.
When Trump walked the red carpet with Melania ahead of the show, a reporter asked him how he felt about the actors’ plan to boycott his presence.
“I couldn’t care less, all I do is run the country well,” he said.
This was Trump’s first visit of the center after he appointed himself as chairman in February following the dismissal of many members of the board. He also appointed Richard Grenell as executive director.
At the time, Trump said the center was in “tremendous disrepair” and made it his mission to restore it. He also accused the previous leadership of allowing drag shows that were “specifically targeting our youth.”
“We want to bring it back better than ever,” Trump said. “As you know, it needs a little help from the standpoint of age and fitness, but it’s going to be fantastic.”
The move caused stars like Shonda Rhimes and Ben Folds to cut ties with the Kennedy Center. Meanwhile, LGBTQ-related programming—especially Pride Month events—was either canceled or relocated which caused additional backlash and protests.
The children’s musical Finn, which deals with LGBTQ themes, was also canceled, the Daily Mail reported.
Drag queens made a surprise appearance at Wednesday’s show to demonstrate against Trump’s changes to the center. Their presence was met with occasional applause and cheers, according to videos posted online.
On the red carpet, Trump praised Grenell’s management of the center, and spoke of his first ever theatre experience, saying it was likely Cats.
Trump also shared that he has seen “Les Misérables” multiple times.
Asked if he identified more with Javert or Jean Valjean, Trump laughed and said, “That’s tough. You better answer that one, honey.” Melania, however, stayed silent.
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