As the bad news coming out of the Kennedy Center continues to mount; word comes down that the partisan White House appointed board that was installed after the hostile takeover has changed some of the rules.

After taking over control of the Kennedy Center, the board adapted a new set of by-laws.  One of those laws stated that ONLY trustee members that were appointed by the White House would be allowed to vote on any matter; including the “unanimous”

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Adopted in May, the by-laws state that any board member that had been designated by Congress – ex-officio members will not be allowed to vote or count toward a quorum.

Since the takeover, the White House began cancelling programming they did not align with their “cultural aims”; while other artists cancelled their shows in protest of the takeover.

What resulted was a plumet in ticket sales and a revamped Kennedy Center Honors that deviated from tradition in the selections and the annual gala event itself.

Six months after the new by-laws were instilled, the board voted “unanimously” to change the name of the Kennedy Center – a name that was presented as a memorial to assassinated President John F. Kennedy – to add the name of the current president.

The name went up on the building less than 24 hours later to “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts”; which has sparked yet another bout of performance cancellations.

Kennedy Center vice president of public relations Roma Daravi reports ex officio members don’t vote saying, “the bylaws were revised to reflect this longstanding precedent and everyone received the technical changes both before the meeting and after revisions.  Some members (including ex officio) attended in person, others by phone, and no concerns were voiced, no one objected, and the bylaws passed unanimously.”

But the original by-laws do not address the issue of who does and does not vote.

Currently the Kennedy Center lists a total of 59 board of trustees members – 23 of whom are ex officio members.

The federal law that Congress passed to establish the Kennedy Center designates the librarian of Congress; the mayor of Washington, D.C.; the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; and the majority and minority leaders of the Senate serve as ex officio members and directs the board “to maintain and administer the facility as a living memorial.”  However, there is nothing that distinguishes who may or may not vote; in fact, voting is not even mentioned.  But in the most recent tax filing, it listed 59 “voting members” – general board and ex officio members.  

Other changes to the by-laws included that the general trustees “serve at the pleasure of the President” (no mention of board president or the one in the White House).  The original by-laws referred only to the Advisory Committee on the Arts – a separate body that “makes recommendations to the board”.

Language was also added on who may make certain appointments.

The recent name change to the Kennedy Center has sparked much controversy and a number of members of Congress to make moves toward reversing the change.

A lawsuit filed in the District of Columbia states, “because Congress named the center by statute, changing the Kennedy Center’s name requires an act of Congress. Congress intended the Center to be a living memorial to President Kennedy — and a crown jewel of the arts for all Americans, irrespective of party.”

The recent changes at the Kennedy Center has sparked numerous cancellations including the American College Theatre Festival who broke from the Kennedy Center after 50 years, Christmas Even Jazz performance by Chuck Redd, the New Year’s Eve performance Jazz performance by The Cookers, the musical “Hamilton”, and and dance company Doug Varone and Dancers.

In a statement The Cookers said,“Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us.”

“We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it.  Our hope is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment.”

Doug Varone took to social media saying, “It was an honor to be invited to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in April 2026. It would have been a fitting tribute to the company’s 40th year. While we totally disagreed with the takeover by the Trump Administration at the Kennedy Center, we still believed it was important to honor our engagement out of respect for both Jane Raleigh and Alicia Adams, who curated a first-rate dance season, as well as for the dance audiences in DC. However, with the latest act of Donald J. Trump renaming the Center after himself, we can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution. The Kennedy Center was named in honor of our 35th President who fervently believed that the arts were the beating heart of our nation, as well as an integral part of international diplomacy. We hope in three-year’s time, that the Center and its reputation will return to that glory.”

As artists cancel and seats go empty, the Kennedy Center has been booking more Christian acts with many performances free to the public.

Earlier this month The Kennedy Center held their annual Kennedy Center Honors which aired on CBS December 23.

CBS has released the Niesen ratings for the broadcast which averaged just 3.01 million viewers – down 25% from last year.  Ratings have been dropping in recent years; but the 2025 ratings were the lowest on record.