Petition Urges Donors to Cut Funding for Trump’s Kennedy Center Takeover

A petition has been launched in response to former President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center, calling on donors to withdraw financial support.

Initiated by MoveOn Petition and Qommittee, the petition aims to oppose censorship and promote artistic diversity. As of now, it has gathered 40,000 signatures.

“The response to President Trump’s unprecedented Kennedy Center takeover, censorship, and drag ban has been overwhelming – major artists canceling shows, board members resigning, and ticket sales plummeting by 50%,” the petition states. “The Kennedy Center belongs to all Americans. When the government starts banning certain types of performances from our stages, it sets a dangerous precedent for all artistic expression.”

It continues, “While Trump won’t back down, the donors who contribute nearly $100 million annually to the Kennedy Center can afford to take a stand. Money talks. When donors fund censorship, they don’t just harm one institution – they send a message to marginalized communities that their stories don’t deserve to be told.”

The petition urges donors to “suspend funding until artistic independence is restored” and “redirect support to banned or censored artists, art forms, and the infrastructure that upholds artistic freedom.”

Trump took control of the Kennedy Center in February, firing the entire board and replacing them with loyalists. He appointed Ric Grenell as Interim President. On March 17, Trump visited the center, expressing his “disappointment” and announcing plans to completely overhaul the venue.