An audience at the Kennedy Center loudly booed Vice President JD Vance Thursday night when he and his wife, Usha Vance, attended a program of Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Vance, the Guardian reports, “ironically acknowledged the yelling and shouts of ‘You ruined this place!’ with a smile and a wave.”
The concert was delayed by half an hour by a long security line necessitated by Vance’s attendance, the Washington Post reports. But inconvenience does not appear to have motivated the KenCen boobirds—video of the incident shared by Guardian reporter Andrew Roth suggests they were exercised instead by the recent takeover of the Kennedy Center by Vance’s boss, President Trump. Trump named Usha Vance to the arts center’s board after he fired board members and installed himself as chair.
Boos for JD Vance as he enters tonight’s concert at the Kennedy Center pic.twitter.com/IWTsJUWjCR
— Andrew Roth (@Andrew__Roth) March 13, 2025
The Kennedy Center has not yet replied to a request for comment, but its interim president, Ric Grenell, wrote on X that “The intolerant Left are radicals who can’t even sit in the same room with people that don’t vote like they do.”
Trump does not go out much in DC, but the Vances are often out and about. Tipsters have told Washingtonian Vance dined at Masseria and Rose’s leading up to the inauguration. He also dined with a group, including his wife and children, in private dining room at Rasika West End a couple days after being sworn in as VP.
The Kennedy Center will repeat the concert program Friday and Saturday.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
