Hamilton blasted for whining about Trump’s hostile takeover of Kennedy Center and refusing to perform

Republicans slammed the creators of the hit musical Hamilton after it canceled its upcoming run at the Kennedy Center, citing the ‘new culture’ of the institution following President Donald Trump’s takeover. 

The play was to be part of the Kennedy Center’s plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. Trump is hugely invested in having a big celebration next year in honor of America’s birthday.

But the decision to cancel the run has sparked a cultural revolution in the political world.

Ric Grenell, who Trump named the interim executive director, accused creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Jeffrey Seller of a ‘publicity stunt’ that he said would backfire.

He called Miranda ‘intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically’ and said the two men ‘don’t want Republicans going to their shows.’ 

The hit musical was schedule to play its third run at the Kennedy Center in March and April 2026.

‘Given the recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,’ Seller said in a post on social media announcing the cancellation.

Seller also called it a ‘business decision’ noting the hundreds of employees of the play who would be hurt if the Kennedy Center suddenly cancelled the musical’s run. 

The Kennedy Center has cancelled events in the wake of Trump’s takeover. Other artists have cancelled on their own in protest, including musician Rhiannon Giddens and actress Issa Rae.

‘The actions of the new Chairman of the Board in recent weeks demonstrate that contracts and previous agreements simply cannot be trusted,’ Seller noted. 

Trump fired Kennedy Center staff, board members and declared himself chairman of the cultural institution. 

The Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical by Miranda was performed at the Kennedy Center during Trump’s first administration, Seller noted.

‘We are not acting against his administration, but against the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of his recent takeover,’ he wrote. 

Seller and Miranda first revealed their decision Wednesday in an interview with The New York Times.

‘This latest action by Trump means it’s not the Kennedy Center as we knew it,’ Miranda told the newspaper.

But Grenell accused the two men of a publicity stunt by telling the newspaper before informing the center.

‘Seller and @Lin_Manuel first went to the New York Times before they came to the Kennedy Center with their announcement that they can’t be in the same room with Republicans,’ Grenell said in a post on X.

‘This is a publicity stunt that will backfire,’ he added.

‘The Arts are for everyone – not just for the people who Lin likes and agrees with. The American people need to know that @Lin_Manuel is intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically. It’s clear he and Sellers don’t want Republicans going to their shows,’ he noted.

The hugely popular musical about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton is a sure-fire hit for whatever theater that hosts it. The previous runs at the Kennedy Center quickly sold out. On Broadway it has grossed more than $1 billion.

The Kennedy Center had announced the play’s run but it had not started selling tickets and no contract had been signed. 

Miranda and Seller told the Times the show would soon announce another venue in the Washington area so locals would still have an opportunity to see it.

In 2018, during the first Trump Administration, Miranda and other members of the ‘Hamilton’ creative team were among that year’s Kennedy Center honorees.

Trump never attended the Kennedy Center Honors as president because several artists threatened to boycott the center if he was present. 

It is tradition for the president to preside over the Honors, the center’s biggest event of the year. 

He took over the center in early February. The contract of Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter was terminated as was that of chairman David Rubenstein in the wake of Trump’s move.

The president has promised a ‘Golden Age in arts and culture,’ but has not given any more specifics. Grenell has promised the Kennedy Center would feature ‘a big, huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas.’

Trump, who is a huge fan of Broadway musicals, never saw Hamilton. 

In 2016, shortly after the presidential election, then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence saw the show on Broadway. Afterward the cast made an unusual appeal, asking Pence to see that the Trump administration ‘uphold our American values’ and ‘work on behalf of all of us.’ 

Trump, at the time, called the ‘Hamilton’ cast had ‘harassed’ Pence by making the statement and had been ‘very rude.’ 

‘Apologize,’ he demanded. 

Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden were big fans. Barack and Michelle Obama hosted the cast at the White House to perform some songs. Joe and Jill Biden saw the hit musical on Broadway when Biden served as vice president.

Seller noted in his post that ‘political disagreements and debate are vital expressions of democracy. These basic concepts of freedom are at the very heart of Hamilton. However, some institutions are sacred and should be protected from politics. The Kennedy Center is one such institution.’

He noted the Center was founded as a bipartisan place for the arts, coming to fruition under Dwight Eisenhower and named after John F. Kennedy.

‘Politics have never affected the presentation of shows and the display of extraordinary visual arts. However in recent weeks we have sadly seen decades of Kennedy Center neutrality be destroyed,’ he said.