Trump Fires Back at Celebrity Boycott During His And Melania’s Surprise ‘Les Misérables’ Outing

Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump made an appearance at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday night to attend a special performance of Les Misérables, staged by understudies.

They were joined by Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha.

As Trump and Melania walked the red carpet ahead of the show, a reporter asked about the reported boycott by some cast members in protest of his attendance. Trump dismissed the concerns, saying, “I couldn’t care less. All I do is run the country well.”

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This marked Trump’s first visit to the Kennedy Center since he named himself chairman in February, following the dismissal of a significant portion of the center’s board. He also appointed Richard Grenell as executive director.

At the time, Trump claimed the venue was in “tremendous disrepair” and pledged to revitalize it. He criticized the previous leadership for allowing drag shows, which he alleged were “specifically targeting our youth.”

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“We want to bring it back better than ever,” Trump said. “It needs a little help in terms of age and fitness, but it’s going to be fantastic.”

His takeover sparked backlash from many in the arts community. High-profile figures like Shonda Rhimes and Ben Folds severed ties with the center in protest. In addition, many LGBTQ-related programs—especially events celebrating Pride Month—were either canceled or moved elsewhere, drawing further criticism and demonstrations.

Drag queens crashed the performance in protest of Trump/ AP

According to the Daily Mail, the children’s musical Finn, which featured LGBTQ themes, was also canceled.

Despite the controversy, drag queens made a surprise appearance at Wednesday’s performance as a form of protest. Videos circulating online show that their presence was met with sporadic cheers and applause from the audience.

On the red carpet, Trump praised Grenell’s leadership and recalled his first theater experience, saying he believed it was Cats. He also mentioned he had seen Les Misérables multiple times.

When asked whether he identified more with Javert or Jean Valjean, Trump chuckled and replied, “That’s tough. You better answer that one, honey.” Melania remained silent.

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