The Daily Populous Monday April 6th, 2026 morning edition
Authored by advocate.com and submitted by Fickle-Ad5449

A gay journalist says he was briefly detained by security after he booed President Donald Trump during the opening night of the musical Chicago at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, according to the Washington Blade.

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Eugene Ramirez, a former national television journalist, told the Blade he attended the performance with a group of friends. When Trump and first lady Melania Trump appeared on a balcony box before the performance, Ramirez says he booed and gave a thumbs-down.

According to the Associated Press, some in the crowd booed as the couple entered, though they were drowned out by even louder cheers from the rest of the audience. Within moments, Ramirez says, multiple security personnel escorted him from his seat.

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"They don't want booing," Ramirez recalled a security official telling him, adding that the official even called out his thumbs-down gesture specifically. He says he was held in a separate area until the house lights dimmed, then allowed to return to his seat. He was not arrested or charged.

Ramirez, who is of Cuban heritage and worked as an anchor on Sinclair's national evening newscast, said his instinct to go public was a professional reflex. "Journalism is a vocation, not just a job," he told the Blade. "The Kennedy Center is a federally funded cultural institution, and being questioned about speech related to the president in that setting felt like something the public should know about."

He said the presence of the White House press pool made clear the appearance was a managed media moment. "It was very clearly about protection — whether protecting the president from visible dissent, or his image before the media present. There was no disruption. Simply expressing dissent in a public, cultural space drew the attention of security."

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Ramirez said the irony of the venue wasn't lost on him. "The satire truly leapt off the stage — a show about controlling the narrative, manipulating the press, and covering up truths by leaning on showmanship and distractions."

Neither the Kennedy Center nor the White House responded to requests for comment.

The incident comes as the Kennedy Center is in the midst of a transformation under Trump. The AP reported that some attendees arriving for the show didn’t know Trump was planning to be there, despite extra security measures, while others said they received a voicemail or email about a special guest but were still surprised to learn it was the president. Trump also attended the opening-night performance of Les Misérables last summer, where he was similarly met with a mix of boos and cheers.

In December, the center's board changed the institution's name to the Trump Kennedy Center, despite objections and questions about whether federal law allows it, and it is set to close in July for what Trump has described as "Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding.”

Related: Organizers confirm pulling WorldPride events from ‘inhospitable’ Kennedy Center — not canceled by it

Related: Ric Grenell to step down as Kennedy Center president after controversial tenure

Related: Kennedy Center scrubs LGBTQ+ Pride concert after Donald Trump takeover

The administration’s takeover has reshaped the institution’s cultural footprint. Among the casualties: Lin-Manuel Miranda canceled a planned staging of Hamilton tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary, actor and producer Issa Rae scrapped a sold-out appearance, a Pride concert featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., and the National Symphony Orchestra was canceled, and some WorldPride 2025 events were moved to other venues after organizers said the Kennedy Center no longer felt welcoming.

Since Trump’s power grab, the Kennedy Center has suffered declining ticket sales and a wave of artist withdrawals.

Caymonki on April 5th, 2026 at 17:48 UTC »

Boo Trump, detained

Shoot an American in the street as a federal agent? Not detained

Trump’s America.

Falala-Surprise-90 on April 5th, 2026 at 17:18 UTC »

Just a reminder that free speech and facism are mutually exclusive

Sea-Mathematician517 on April 5th, 2026 at 17:17 UTC »

Oh im sorry, I thought this was America