Donald Trump has his plans ready for the Kennedy Center where he reportedly intends to make several structural and stylistic changes. According to the New York Times, the president, during the first meeting of the centre’s board of directors on Monday (March 17), talked about the "tremendous despair" the centre was in and that he would seek funds from Congress to “bring it back.” 

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The Times obtained an audio recording of the meeting where he made some personal remarks about the Kennedy Center, the changes it needs and the kind of shows it should be hosting. A person who was present at the meeting confirmed that it was authentic.

Trump talked about his vision for the centre and said that he intends to bring back several Broadway shows that have attracted a lot of audiences to the Kennedy Center.

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The US president, and the chairman of the centre, spoke eloquently about the time he attended Andrew Lloyd Webber’s "Cats". 

Trump recalls seeing 'Cats' at the Kennedy Center

He attended the show decades ago and reminisced that he was there with "somebody I should not have been there with". He recalled how he was treated as a "young star for whatever reason". Seated in the fourth row, Trump says he was first taken aback by seeing all those "bodies" lying onstage. Trump said he wanted to leave, but then he "noticed those bodies were gorgeous".

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"They had silk tights on, and they were all ballerinas and women from Broadway. And men.” About the men, he added: “I didn’t find those particular bodies as attractive to be honest." 

About the kind of shows that would be hosted, one of the participants said that the change at the centre “opens us up for a whole bunch of more options as well as a lot more money" after a board member enquired about new musicals that were not “totally woke."

He wants to stop celebrating "radical left lunatics"

Trump also raised the topic of artists honoured at the centre, saying that the centre had been celebrating “radical left lunatics”. Notably, during his first term, several of those honoured criticised Trump, so the president at the time boycotted the ceremonies.

He instead suggested honouring people from fields like sports, politics, and business, and honouring Luciano Pavarotti, Elvis Presley, and Babe Ruth posthumously.

Trump wants to host the ceremony

He even wants to host the annual Kennedy Center Honors, but clarified, "Believe me, I don’t want to do it, I don’t want to do it. I have enough publicity.”  

Calling the previous hosts "terrible", Trump said, "They’ll say, ‘Trump wants to be the host.’ I don’t want to. But I want this thing to be successful." He also called himself “the king of ratings.” 

Trump also has grand plans for the building itself. He wants to cover the "I-beams with some incredible stone—probably marble." Marble and granite columns are a signature feature of Trump's buildings.