Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter, brought on by Rubenstein in 2014, resigned soon after the board shake-up. Trump replaced her, on an interim basis, with diplomat Richard Grenell, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Germany during the president's first term.

Canadian author Louise Penny has joined the growing list of people from the arts and culture communities to cancel events or dissociate themselves from the Kennedy Center, after U.S. President Donald Trump took control of the historic Washington,

After mostly steering clear of the national cultural center during his first term, Trump has moved quickly to take control as he returns to office.