Vice President Vance Booed at National Symphony Concert at Kennedy Center

In Thursday’s (3/13) Washington Post, Kelsey Ables and Michael Andor Brodeur write, “When Vice President JD Vance took his seat Thursday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington, he was met with a chorus of boos from the packed concert hall. Vance and the second lady, Usha Vance, were attending a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra, which was already seated onstage when the crowd spotted the pair and erupted into loud boos and shouts for more than 30 seconds. The vice president waved and appeared to smile. President Donald Trump has been trying to overhaul the institution, appointing a board of trustees that elected him as chair, setting the arts community on edge. Usha Vance, one of Trump’s board members, previously served on the board of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra…. A number of shows at the Kennedy Center, including the hit musical ‘Hamilton’ and an appearance by actress, comedian and television producer Issa Rae, have been canceled since Trump’s unprecedented move, many in protest…. Thursday’s concert started 30 minutes late, after attendees waited in a long security line that packed the grand foyer ahead of the vice president’s arrival. After the outburst, patrons quickly settled into an attentive, quiet respect for the musicians.”