JD Vance's Night Out Started With Boos & We Bet Trump Has Embarrassing Déjà Vu

The Kennedy Center has been experiencing upheaval since Donald Trump abruptly became chairman of the historic venue's board in early February 2025. Numerous artists have canceled their shows in response. Even so, performances are still going on, and attendees are finding ways to express their displeasure. Vice President JD Vance discovered this situation for himself when he and his wife, Usha Vance, attended a symphony concert at the Kennedy Center. Usha's life has changed since becoming second lady, and she's currently one of the center's new board members. She was sitting next to her husband as the audience loudly booed him. As the jeers increased in volume, JD waved at the audience and then turned to his wife. As he smiled and talked to her, it added to the list of JD's awkward on-camera moments. "You ruined this place!" vented some individuals (via The Guardian).

A strikingly similar situation happened to Mike Pence when he was newly elected as Trump's first term vice-president. In November 2016, Pence also got booed at the beginning of a theater performance. In that case, it was a Broadway performance of "Hamilton." The show and its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, have continued to show disdain for the Trump presidency, canceling their performance at the Kennedy Center. In March 2025, Miranda told The New York Times, "The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we're not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center." The Kennedy Center crowd's reaction to Trump's second VP may be giving the president some unpleasant déjà vu.

Ironically, Mike Pence's advice for JD Vance was "Be prepared" (via Newsweek), and who could predict it would extend to being jeered at a theater? The first time one of his vice presidents was booed, Donald Trump jumped in to defend Pence. "The Theater must always be a safe and special place," Trump tweeted on X (formerly Twitter). "The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!"

However, after Vance got booed, Trump left reprimanding the audience to Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center's president. "This video should challenge us all to commit to making the Kennedy Center a place where everyone is welcomed," Grenell posted on X. Even so, beyond expressing political concerns, some individuals indicated they blamed Vance for delaying the concert. The VP's presence led to increased security precautions, which increased wait times for people to get into the show.

Pence and Vance also had two different experiences when their respective shows concluded. In Pence's case, "Hamilton" cast member Brandon Dixon chastised the audience for their earlier behavior and made a request to the then-VP. "We truly hope that [this] show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us," Dixon remarked (via BBC). He later thanked Pence on social media for staying to hear the cast's message. In contrast, Vance quietly slipped out of the Kennedy Center unnoticed by the time the encore was playing.