JD Vance booed by crowd at Kennedy Center concert after Trump takeover of arts venue
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JD Vance booed at Kennedy Center performance
The vice president was booed at the Kennedy Center amid controversy after President Trump took over as chairman.
WASHINGTON − Vice President JD Vance received a roaring chorus of boos and jeers while attending a National Symphony Orchestra performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Thursday.
Loud boos broke out in the audience as Vance took his seat in the box tier next to his wife, Usha Vance, for the symphony's performance of Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Stravinsky's "Petrushka."
The vice president could be seen in videos smiling and waving amid the noise. Shouts of 'you ruined this place!' could also be heard among the boos, The Guardian reported.
The symphony's performance was delayed about 20 minutes because of Secret Service security measures, the New York Times reported.
Vance's less-than-welcome reception comes after his boss, President Donald Trump, launched a major overhaul of the cultural center's leadership. Last month, Trump removed multiple board members (prompting others to leave voluntarily) and replaced them with allies and Cabinet members.
Trump also announced a new chairman for the Kennedy Center board: himself.
The president made the decision, he explained on social media at the time, after the center hosted drag show performances at its venue last year.
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Multiple stars and artists have denounced the new administration's takeover, some opting to pull upcoming performances at the center off the calendar.
Usha Vance is among the new Kennedy Center board members, along with Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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