Trump booed at Kennedy Center Les Misérables show as drag queens protest over his attendance

Donald Trump was met with signs of protest as he arrived at New York’s Kennedy Center for a performance of Les Misérables – a musical partly about a protest against a ruling power – on Wednesday (11 June).

The president was with first lady Melania, along with vice-president JD Vance and his wife, and other Trump allies.

Footage shared by Reuters showed the couple arriving to a chorus of boos from some members of the audience. However, others were clearly seen cheering, with reports of people chanting “USA” as well.

Separate footage showed drag performers receiving enthusiastic applause when they took their seats. Their presence was in a protest at Trump and the Republican Party’s attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.

At the Kennedy Center, half the theater just started clapping when a group of drag queens showed up to find their seats at opening night of Les Miserables, which Trump, Melania, Vance and their top allies have all come out to see. pic.twitter.com/1WJHsGL987

— Shawn McCreesh (@ShawnMcCreesh) June 11, 2025

A number of stars chose to boycott the performance when they learnt that Trump would be there. Asked about this, the president told reporters: “I couldn’t care less.”

The mixed response to Trump’s presence follows a tumultuous time for The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Since the president took over as chairman of the institution in February, and replaced board members with his allies, ticket sales have plummeted for some shows, and performances of award-winning musical Hamilton were cancelled in protest.

Previously, Trump has attacked the centre for being “woke,” and accused it of hosting drag shows “specifically targeting our youth”. Ironically, when he announced the centre’s new programme in May, he listed several shows featuring drag and LGBTQ+ characters and stories.

Reuters reported Trump as saying he had helped raise $10 million (£7.4 million) for the institution. Donors had to pay between $100,000 (£74,000) and $2 million (close to £1.5 million) for tickets, which also got them a photo with the president.

The news agency also reported that year-on-year subscription revenue was down 36 per cent to $2.8 million (£2.06 million). Theatre subscriptions – usually a major source of revenue – were said to have fallen 82 per cent. However, a Kennedy Center spokesperson said the figures were inaccurate because the subscription renewal campaign was launched later than normal.

The “boos” Trump arrived to follow on from the protests taking place in Los Angeles in response to raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in recent days.

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