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President Donald Trump is planning to attend the June 11 opening of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, CNN reported on Saturday. The visit comes amid the US government’s sweeping overhaul of the iconic D.C. institution, led by Trump ally and interim Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who reportedly claimed, “We’ve saved about $6.2 million in eight weeks already.”
Grenell confirmed on Fox & Friends that Trump will not only attend the show but also host a fundraiser at the venue on the same night. “Donald Trump is coming to the opening of Les Mis on June 11,” Grenell said, according to CNN. “He’s doing a fundraiser for the Kennedy Center. We expect to raise millions for that.”
Grenell, a former ambassador and vocal Trump loyalist, reportedly said the administration has fired staff, implemented a hiring freeze, and slashed what he described as “bloat” at the center. “We don’t need to be booing Republicans,” he added, referencing an incident in which Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha were booed during a recent appearance at the venue.
The shake-up could potentially include the removal of board members and changes to programming, with Trump’s team reportedly aiming to eliminate content it sees unsuitable.
According to the report, Grenell said Trump has tasked him to lobby Capitol Hill in the coming weeks on how to “turn around” the Kennedy Center.
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