Vice President Met with Hostile Reception at National Symphony Concert Following Delayed Arrival

Vice President JD Vance was met with loud boos and jeers from the audience at the Kennedy Center after arriving 25 minutes late for a National Symphony Orchestra performance on Thursday evening. Vance, along with Second Lady Usha Vance, took their seats at the prestigious Washington DC venue just as the concert featuring an all-Russian music programme was about to begin.

The start of the performance had been delayed to accommodate Vance’s motorcade, which required full security checks by the Secret Service. As the vice president and his party entered the box tier, they were greeted with an uproar of boos, whistles, and jeers from the audience, which was captured in a viral clip filmed by Andrew Roth, a correspondent for The Guardian.

Among the crowd, one woman can be heard expressing her frustration, saying, “Oh, f***. S***,” upon learning it was Vance who was responsible for the delay. Despite the noise, some members of the audience continued to clap, while another shouted, “Kill that light,” urging the performance to begin without further disruption.

In response, Vance appeared to acknowledge the hostility with a smile and a wave, retorting, “You ruined this place!” Richard Grenell, an ally of former President Trump and interim director of the Kennedy Center, later described the crowd’s reaction as “intolerant.”

This incident follows a series of changes at the Kennedy Center, including Trump’s controversial appointment as its chairman, aimed at countering what he called ‘woke’ performances. As a result of these shifts, notable artists such as Issa Rae and Lin-Manuel Miranda have withdrawn their engagements at the venue.