US Vice President JD Vance was booed by the audience as he attended a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Thursday evening. According to a report in The New York Times, the concert featured the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, with renowned Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos performing Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No 2 as the soloist.
The boos, which lasted about 30 seconds, erupted as Vance, accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance, took his seat in the box tier. A video shared on social media shows Vance waving to the audience as he settled into his seat, moments before the disruption began.
Video:
The Kennedy Center erupts in boos when JD Vance takes his seat. Brutal.
h/t @Andrew__Roth pic.twitter.com/zyLLp0UIq2
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 14, 2025
The incident highlighted the ongoing controversy surrounding Trump’s recent decision to overhaul the Kennedy Center’s board. Last month, Trump removed Biden appointees and appointed himself as chair, leading to backlash over his calls to rid the institution of “woke” influences and to refocus its programming.
The Vances stayed for the entire concert, which began 20 minutes late due to heightened security measures.
Usha Vance, recently appointed by Trump to serve as a board member at the Kennedy Center, attended the concert alongside her husband. Other Trump allies, such as Susie Wiles and Fox News host Laura Ingraham, were also appointed to the board, further stoking criticism.
Nepotism. The game the whole family can play.