Reporter Confronts VP On Trump’s ‘Hostile Takeover’ Of Kennedy Center On Les Miserables Red Carpet

A reporter confronted Vice President JD Vance about criticism of President Donald Trump’s “hostile takeover” of the Kennedy Center as Vance posed on the red carpet before a Les Misérables performance.

As part of a broader effort to take on what he views as a liberal and overly “woke” culture, Trump fired members of the Kennedy Center board, had them replaced with loyalists, and had himself installed as board chairman.

Trump’s hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center has prompted backlash that has included the jeering of Vance and his family at a performance in March, protests from artists, and a boycott by at least 10 Les Mis cast members for the performance that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended Wednesday night.

Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance were among the Trump administration luminaries who took to the red carpet Wednesday night before the performance, where a reporter pressed Vance about the “hostile takeover” — which Vance denied the existence of:

REPORTER: What is your message to artists who say President Trump staged a hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center, and they refuse to perform?

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE: I don’t know which artist said that, but it’s not a hostile takeover.

He’s the president of the United States and this is the great performing arts center of the nation’s capital. It’s right for the president to have some role.

See what Ambassador Grennell and the president have done tonight, raising $10 million, I believe is the final number for what we’ve been able to bring in to this great facility.

I think it speaks to the power actually of having the president on the side of the Kennedy Center.

I think it’s going to be a great night and the start to a great season.

Watch above via Fox 5 New York and Right Side Broadcasting Network.