United States President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump got a mixed reception during an appearance at the Kennedy Center.
Donald and Melania were in attendance for the premiere of the latest incarnation of the hit Broadway musical Chicago on Tuesday night. It marked their first joint appearance at the Kennedy Center since the premiere of the documentary Melania.
However, it was an appearance greeted with a mixture of cheers and boos from those in attendance.
When contacted for comment, the White House disputed that characterization of events, though. Liz Huston, White House spokesperson, told Newsweek: “President Trump saved the Trump-Kennedy Center, and he was warmly welcomed by the crowd at the opening night of Chicago.”
Why It Matters
The reception comes during a week in which the president’s approval-rating hit record lows. One poll from The Economist and YouGov has Trump’s approval rating at 35 percent—his lowest since taking office for a second time in January 2025. These downshifts have been attributed to public concern over the Iran war and the cost of living in the U.S.
The reaction is also a reminder that Trump remains persona non grata for some at the Kennedy Center. In December 2025, the center’s board, members of which were picked by the president, voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center. This drew protests from some members of the Kennedy family as well as from Democrats and led to several musicians and performers canceling planned appearances at the venue. In February 2026, Trump then announced plans to close the venue for a two-year renovation, starting in July.
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What To Know
Writing on X, Reagan Reese, White House correspondent for conservative news and opinion website The Daily Caller, said that, although there were “some boos” when the Trumps appeared, “the crowd drowned them out with more cheers.”
Reese shared footage of the moment on X, and boos are audible on the video alongside the cheering. CBS reporter Aaron Navarro was present and said Trump was greeted with “mainly cheers” from those in attendance. Navarro also shared a video of the reaction to X with boos audible on the clip. A third video of their appearance was posted to X by the Official White House Rapid Response account. Boos are significantly less audible on this video.
While reporters on the scene painted a more-moderate picture of the response to Trump, Occupy Democrats, one of the largest online communities for Democrats and progressives in the United States, claim the president and first lady got a “very cold reception” with “loud boos ringing out” as they arrived. Writing on Facebook, the group claimed the couple were “greeted by a chorus of jeers mixed with sparse applause.”
Some certainly welcomed Trump’s appearance, though. According to The Independent, some didn’t realize the president was going to be there, while others received emails or voicemails informing them a special guest would be in attendance. Bobi Jo Swartz, 38, an EMT and paramedic firefighter from West Virginia, told the news provider she was “definitely shocked” when she realized someone important was attending but welcomed the fact it was Trump. “I love it,” Swartz told The Independent. “I’m glad that he’s a part of it.”
This isn’t the first time Trump’s appearance at the venue has garnered a mixed response. Last summer, the president was once again greeted with boos and cheers while attending the opening night of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center.
Legal Challenge
Trump’s efforts to rename the center may have hit a roadblock in recent days. Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty of Ohio has filed a motion in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking to stop Trump and the leadership of the Kennedy Center from informally renaming the arts complex “The Trump-Kennedy Center.”
Beatty’s filing argues that the center is legally designated as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was established by Congress as the nation’s sole official memorial to the former president.
It suggests the renaming violates federal statutes, breaches the board’s fiduciary duties and contradicts the trust Congress created after Kennedy’s 1963 assassination. Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy’s brother, has expressed support for this challenge.
Update, 04/01/2026, 11:53 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from a White House spokesperson.