Trumps greeted with audible boos at Kennedy Center

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump received a mixed response from the audience Tuesday night at the Kennedy Center during the premiere of the musical "Chicago," with videos capturing both applause and audible boos from attendees.

The couple's presence at the venue was initially unannounced to some audience members, though others received notifications alerting them to a "special guest" in attendance, reported The Daily Beast. Video footage from multiple sources, including CBS reporter Aaron Navarro and the Daily Caller's Reagan Reese, documented the divided reaction as the presidential couple appeared in the audience.

Prior to the event, Melania Trump posted a video of herself wearing a fringed white dress inspired by the 1920s flapper culture featured in "Chicago," which explores themes of celebrity criminals, corruption, and greed.

The appearance marked the couple's first joint public outing since attending the premiere of the "Melania" documentary in January at the same venue. One attendee, Bobi Jo Swartz, an EMT and paramedic firefighter from West Virginia, expressed enthusiasm about the presidential visit, saying she was "definitely shocked" by the heightened security measures, such as bomb-sniffing dogs inspecting vehicles.

Trump's visit comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding his efforts to add his name to the Kennedy Center's exterior. A handpicked board voted in December to add the president's name to the building, a decision that prompted numerous musicians and performers to boycott the venue. The Kennedy Center is scheduled to close on July 4 for a two-year renovation.

Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) filed a motion this week at D.C. District Court challenging the name addition, arguing that Congress intended the building to remain named after President John F. Kennedy without modification.

Trump has previously stated plans to spend approximately $200 million on renovating the Kennedy Center, describing the current facility as "in very bad shape, it's rundown, it's dilapidated."