U.S. President Donald Trump drew a mix of applause and jeers during his appearance at the opening night of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, in what quickly became a politically charged moment at one of the nation’s premier cultural institutions.
Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance, arrived at the prestigious event amid heightened political tension and recent controversies surrounding his leadership and policies. The audience’s reaction was sharply divided, with chants of “USA! USA!” clashing with boos as the presidential couple appeared in the center balcony beneath a presidential seal.
The 78-year-old Republican has recently overseen a sweeping overhaul of the Kennedy Center’s leadership, appointing loyalists and installing himself as chairman, a first for any sitting or former president. Critics argue the move undermines the historically nonpartisan role of the institution.
“I couldn’t care less. Honestly, I couldn’t. All I do is run the country well,” Trump told reporters when asked about reports that some cast members had boycotted the performance due to his presence.
The choice of Les Misérables, a musical that dramatizes revolutionary struggle and resistance against authoritarian rule, raised eyebrows given ongoing protests across the U.S. against Trump’s immigration enforcement actions, particularly in California. His deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles has drawn fierce criticism, with Governor Gavin Newsom calling the move “dictatorial.”
“Someone explain the plot to him,” Newsom quipped on X, responding to Trump’s appearance at the show.
Trump has long expressed admiration for the musical, frequently playing its songs at rallies. “I love the songs, I love the play,” he told Fox News Digital last week, though he dodged when asked which character he identified with.
Critics see Trump’s appearance as a symbolic assertion of cultural dominance amid broader attacks on what he calls “woke” programming at American institutions—from the Smithsonian to universities. The hit musical Hamilton previously canceled its Kennedy Center run in protest, while several prominent board members, including producer Shonda Rhimes and musician Ben Folds, resigned following Trump’s takeover.
“This is spectacle politics,” said Peter Loge, director of George Washington University’s School of Media. “Trump understands the power of symbolism, Les Mis looks and sounds like it stands for something.”
For many, the scene was both surreal and telling: a president whose administration is under fire for crackdowns on civil liberties attending a show famed for its anthem of uprising, Do You Hear the People Sing?
Written By Rodney Mbua
