President Donald Trump was simultaneously booed and applauded as he attended the opening night of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center with First Lady Melania Trump.
As the couple entered the presidential box ahead of their first Kennedy Center show, attendees began to boo loudly while others joined in to cheer at the same time.
Some audience members then broke into chants of, “USA, USA,” as Trump pumped his fist in the air.
Highlights
- President Trump was both booed and applauded during the opening night of 'Les Misérables' at the Kennedy Center alongside Melania Trump.
- Several cast members planned to boycott the show in protest of Trump's takeover and chairmanship of the Kennedy Center.
- Kennedy Center ticket sales dropped 36%, with theater subscriptions down 82%, amid ongoing controversies and management changes.
- Drag queens attending the event received applause, despite Trump's vow to stop hosting drag shows at the center, citing them as 'woke.'
Trump was simultaneously booed and applauded at Les Mis
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Seated below the box—and also gaining the attention of the crowd—were four drag queens who were applauded as they entered.
Trump has vowed to host “no more drag shows” at the performing arts center, as he deems them “woke.”
Also in the presidential box were Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
In March, the Vances were met with boos from the crowd at the same venue when they arrived late to sit in the Kennedy Center balcony to watch the National Symphony Orchestra.
Trump’s attendance at the show came after earlier reports that several cast members were planning to boycott him.
In May, sources told CNN that 12 performers were refusing to go onstage for the opening night after Trump initiated a takeover of the Kennedy Center and installed himself as chairman.
He removed board members and replaced them with key allies, including the appointment of Richard Grenell as executive director.
It is understood the Les Mis cast members were given the option to perform or sit out while Trump was in attendance.
When asked about the boycott on the red carpet, Trump said: “I couldn’t care less, honestly I couldn’t.
Image credits: Win McNamee/Getty Images
“All I do is run the country well.”
Grenell said back in May, “Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed.
“In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn’t hire—and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience.
“The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for, but instead enjoys a performance together.”
Les Mis was held on the same night as a fundraiser hosted by the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees to raise funds for a revamp.
There was a VIP reception, headlined by Trump, before the show, and gold tickets were priced at a starling $2 million.
The top-tier package included a photo op with the president, premium seating, a private box, and entry for 10 guests.
The cheaper option—the silver package—cost $100,000 and also included a Trump photo, as well as two seats for the performance and VIP reception access for two.
It comes amid reports of tanking sales for the center.
Kennedy Center ticket sales have dropped significantly by 36%
Image credits: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
According to data obtained by The Washington Post, sales have dropped significantly by $1.6 million, which is a 36% decrease.
In June 2024, revenue from selling subscriptions to theater, dance, classical, and other seasons of performances was $4,413,147.
This is compared to $2,656,524 in generated revenue for the same period this year, with $155,243 from a new mix-and-match package.
Theatre subscription sales have been hit the hardest, with revenue down 82% through the first two weeks of the subscription campaign.
Last year, the center generated $1,226,344 in revenue during the same period.
A Kennedy Center official said the 2025 subscription renewal campaign had been launched later than the 2024 campaign, so the comparisons were not accurate.
On the red carpet Wednesday, Trump said $10 million had been raised for the center.
“We're going to make it incredible. We have all the funding. We raised a lot tonight, and we’ll put in a lot of money to bring it back to the highest level,” Trump told reporters.
His attendance at a musical about injustice, resistance, and the fight for redemption during a time of political upheaval comes after his decision to send the National Guard to L.A.