{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreicbd7m4bhujtjpqkl6sx2xgfdwhij435bc7dpu7c4jr5egui6zxcy",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:lnhy53y6j34a24vprtadosqm/app.bsky.feed.post/3misrbihexvu2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreihkoaniuqhtvfkp7av7xhh5d26ohzzu5lrgc722p4bnyql3osvvvy"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 114289
  },
  "path": "/news/kennedy-center-journalist-detained-trump",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-05T17:09:53.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.advocate.com",
  "tags": [
    "Chicago",
    "Donald trump",
    "Eugene ramiriz",
    "Kennedy center",
    "Lin manuel miranda",
    "Republican party",
    "journalist",
    "Washington, D.C.,",
    "according to",
    "LGBTQ",
    "Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.",
    "television",
    "According to",
    "Trump reveals GOP congressman’s ‘terminal’ medical diagnosis at Kennedy Center meeting",
    "Kennedy Center Honors to be renamed for Donald Trump, happening at ‘yet to be determined’ new venue",
    "Journalist Don Lemon arrested by federal agents after his coverage of Minneapolis protests",
    "See on Instagram",
    "Canceled shows and record lows: How Trump is killing the Kennedy Center",
    "Billy Porter says work is drying up for Black & queer artists in Trump's America",
    "Trump to close Kennedy Center after takeover. Here’s everything we know",
    "Organizers confirm pulling WorldPride events from ‘inhospitable’ Kennedy Center — not canceled by it",
    "Ric Grenell to step down as Kennedy Center president after controversial tenure",
    "Kennedy Center scrubs LGBTQ+ Pride concert after Donald Trump takeover",
    "Pride"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nA 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.__\n\n****Keep up with the latest in**** LGBTQ****+ news and politics.**** Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.\n\nEugene 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.\n\nAccording 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.\n\n**Related** : Trump reveals GOP congressman’s ‘terminal’ medical diagnosis at Kennedy Center meeting\n\n**Related** : Kennedy Center Honors to be renamed for Donald Trump, happening at ‘yet to be determined’ new venue\n\n**Related** : Journalist Don Lemon arrested by federal agents after his coverage of Minneapolis protests\n\n> See on Instagram\n\n\"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.\n\nRamirez, 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.\"\n\nHe 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.\"\n\n**Related** : Canceled shows and record lows: How Trump is killing the Kennedy Center\n\n**Related** : Billy Porter says work is drying up for Black & queer artists in Trump's America\n\n**Related** : Trump to close Kennedy Center after takeover. Here’s everything we know\n\nRamirez 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.\"\n\nNeither the Kennedy Center nor the White House responded to requests for comment.\n\nThe 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.\n\nIn 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.”\n\n**Related** : Organizers confirm pulling WorldPride events from ‘inhospitable’ Kennedy Center — not canceled by it\n\n**Related** : Ric Grenell to step down as Kennedy Center president after controversial tenure\n\n**Related** : Kennedy Center scrubs LGBTQ+ Pride concert after Donald Trump takeover\n\nThe 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.\n\nSince Trump’s power grab, the Kennedy Center has suffered declining ticket sales and a wave of artist withdrawals.",
  "title": "Journalist detained for booing Trump at Kennedy Center 'Chicago' performance"
}