Not the reaction they were expecting, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania were met with some boos as they attended the opening night of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center.
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The world leader and his wife received a mix of boos and applause as they were walking out of the theater following the performance on Wednesday.
The couple was joined by Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, administration adviser Corey Lewandowski, and controversial MAGA activist Laura Loomer.
PEOPLE reports that the performance occurred less than a week after at least 10 of the 12 actors in the musical opted out of performing while President Trump was in the audience.
The protest was in response to President Trump installing himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center. He also removed what he called the “woke” leadership and appointed a new board that consists of his supporters. Second Lady Usha Vance is also on the board.
The Kennedy Center Reacts to the Actors Refusing to Perform For President Trump
Richard Grenell, a member of the Trump administration, was appointed the Kennedy Center’s president and interim director. He released a statement about the protest.
“The Kennedy Center will no longer fund intolerance,” the statement reads. “Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of their political affiliation, won’t be welcome.”
Grenell then stated, “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.”
Grenell further shared that the establishment wants to be more inclusive, regardless of political affiliation.
“The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other,” he pointed out. “And never ask who someone voted for, but instead enjoys a performance together.”
When asked on the Kennedy Center red carpet about his reaction to the performer’s protest, President Trump stated he “couldn’t care less.”
“All I do is run the country well,” Trump replied. “The economic numbers you saw today, they’re setting records. We took $88 billion in tariffs in two months, far beyond what anybody expected.”
He then reassured, “There’s no inflation. People are happy. People are wealthy. The country is getting back to strength again. That’s what I care about.”
President Trump further discussed his future plans for the Kennedy Center. “We want to bring it back, and we want to bring it back better than ever,” he declared. “As you know, it needs a little help from the standpoint of age and fitness, but it’s going to be fantastic.”
He went on to share that he loves Les Misérables, adding, “I love the songs; I love the play. I think it’s great.”