Donald Trump seemed slightly unsettled when questioned about certain actors reportedly deciding to boycott his presence at the Kennedy Center theater due to a decision he made.
Last night (11 June), Trump’s visit to see Les Misérables at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC stirred up more controversy than he might have anticipated.
During the event, Trump attracted a mix of supporters and critics, and was asked by reporters if he was aware of or concerned about any planned boycotts.
Before the performance, there were rumors that some cast members intended to leave the stage in protest of his presence. Additionally, four drag performers showed up at the venue to assert their presence after Trump’s commitment to halt drag shows at the theater.
In a social media post from February, Trump declared: “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.”
During a recent dinner for the Kennedy Center Board, he added: “The programming was out of control with rampant political propaganda, [diversity, equity and inclusion] and inappropriate shows.”
However, when questioned about the matter before entering the venue on Wednesday, Trump highlighted his so-called achievements and how he dealt with a situation in Los Angeles.
He stated: “I couldn’t care less, honestly, I couldn’t. All I do is run the country well.
“The economic numbers, you saw them today, they are setting records, we took 88 billion dollars in tariffs in two months, far beyond what anyone expected.
“There is no inflation, people are happy, people are wealthy, the country is getting back to strength again, that is what I care about. And we are going to have a safe country, we are not going to have what would have happened in Los Angeles.
“Remember, if I wasn’t there, if I didn’t act quickly on that, Los Angeles would be burning to the ground right now.”
According to Reuters White House Correspondent Jeff Mason, these remarks came before Trump was met with both cheers and boos at the Kennedy Center.
On social media, numerous individuals commented on the peculiarity of Trump’s response, with some suggesting he was concealing his frustration.
One person remarked: “When you have to tell people you ‘run the country well’ …you’re not running the country well.”
Another added: “Once he gets hold of the actors’ names who plan on boycotting, he’ll mention them non-stop in his 3 am posts for weeks. Let’s see … the insults will include ‘overrated’, ‘fake’, ‘not good looking’, ‘mediocre’, ‘untalented’.”
A third person mentioned: “Trump’s indifference is just another sign he’s losing grip — on politics, on reality.”
Another noted: “When he finds out who boycotts he’ll attack them on social media.”