President Donald Trump is set to headline a fundraiser for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts next month, according to an invitation obtained by ABC News, for which the top sponsorship level is selling for $2 million.
The event is being hosted by the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, of which Trump is the chair, and it includes a VIP reception followed by the center’s opening night performance of Les Misérables.
Trump — who recently overhauled the Kennedy Center’s leadership — is scheduled to appear at the event “as a special guest and friend of the Kennedy Center,” according to the invite, and “is not directly soliciting donations.”
For the event, the top “gold” sponsorship level costs $2 million. It includes a performance box and a photo op with Trump, as well as what’s described in the invitation as premier seating and admission to the VIP reception for 10.
The “silver” level sponsorship costs $100,000, and includes a photo op with Trump, seating for the performance and admission to the VIP reception for two.
The White House referred ABC News to the Kennedy Center for comment. A Kennedy Center spokesperson declined to comment.
President Donald Trump speaks in the Cross Hall of the White House during an event on “Investing in America,” on April 30, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Trump — who has referred to the center as an “American jewel” — has overhauled the center since taking office, terminating much of its leadership.
Members of the board appointed by Trump include close allies such as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and second lady Usha Vance. The board in turn elected Trump as its chair and his longtime ally Ric Grennell as its president.
The management overhaul sparked backlash within the cultural world, with some shows like “Hamilton” canceling planned performances. Trump, in turn, said he “never liked ‘Hamilton’ very much.”
During a visit to the Kennedy Center for the new board’s first meeting in March, Trump said the center had been in “tremendous disrepair” due to “bad management.”
“We’ll bring it back,” he said. “We’ll make it great again.”
