A National Symphony Orchestra executive said the program change to remove the Gay Men's Chorus performance was made before Trump's takeover.

Ms. Rae said that she was canceling an upcoming appearance at the center because of an “infringement” on its values. Renée Fleming, Ben Folds and Shonda Rhimes all left posts there.

Until a few weeks ago, the biggest news to come out of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., was its annual celebration of notable American artists.