Richard Grenell, the center’s new president, told a conservative gathering that the “big change” at the center would be a “huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas.”

In the first month of his second term, Trump has ousted the arts institution’s leadership, filled the board of trustees with his supporters and was elected the board's chair.

American folk musician Rhiannon Giddens has confirmed that she’s cancelled an upcoming show at the Kennedy Center in Washington in protest at its “change in programming direction”. Her statement comes after US President Donald Trump dismissed a number of board members and replaced them with those who are sympathetic to his views on what should and shouldn’t be performed at the prestigious venue.