President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will appoint himself as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, while simultaneously removing multiple members of its board of trustees.

At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Kennedy Center, which operates through a public-private partnership, has traditionally maintained a bipartisan board of trustees. The current board includes members from both sides of the political spectrum, including Trump allies such as Attorney General Pam Bondi and singer Lee Greenwood, as well as Biden administration officials like press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The current chairman, David Rubenstein, a billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the Carlyle Group, has held the position since 2010. Rubenstein was originally appointed by President George W. Bush and subsequently reappointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Biden.

A Kennedy Center spokesperson acknowledged awareness of Trump's announcement but stated they had 'received no official communications from the White House regarding changes to our board of trustees.' The spokesperson also noted that while there is nothing in the center's statute preventing a new administration from replacing board members, 'this would be the first time such action has been taken with the Kennedy Center's board.'

In his announcement, Trump specifically criticized the center's programming, particularly targeting drag show events held at the venue last year. The Kennedy Center has hosted several shows featuring local drag performers in recent years, including a 'Drag Salute to Divas' preshow in July and a 'Drag Brunch' in November.

The Kennedy Center, described as a 'living memorial to President John F. Kennedy,' hosts more than 2,000 performances annually and serves as home to the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera.