Vice President JD Vance Booed at Kennedy Center Concert

The audience's reaction highlights backlash against the Trump administration's controversial takeover of the arts institution.

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, faced loud boos from the audience upon their late arrival at the Kennedy Center for a National Symphony Orchestra concert on Thursday night.
The hostile reception follows President Donald Trump's recent overhaul of the Kennedy Center, including firing its board of trustees, appointing himself chairman, and implementing changes critics say reflect a far-right agenda.
Trump's actions have led to the cancellation of LGBTQ+ programming, the resignation of prominent artists, and protests from cultural leaders and activists who accuse the administration of censorship and erasing diversity in the arts.
Richard Grenell, Trump’s appointee as interim head of the Kennedy Center, defended the institution's new direction but expressed concern over the audience's intolerance toward differing political views.
Despite the disruption, the National Symphony Orchestra delivered a well-received performance of works by Shostakovich and Stravinsky, though the evening was overshadowed by political tensions.