Donald Trump and Melania Trump were booed during an appearance at the Kennedy Center.
The 79-year-old president and the 55-year-old first lady are attending the premiere of the musical chicago Tuesday night.
Video posted by the Daily Caller showed the pair showing up at the venue and being greeted with applause and jeers after viewers noticed their presence.
Video posted by CBS reporter Aaron Navarro also captured the mixed reactions the president and first lady received, noting, “The reaction to President Trump tonight inside the Kennedy Center was mostly cheers.” Boos could still be heard in the crowd.
Before arriving at the venue, Melania posted a slow-motion video of herself wearing a fringed white dress that reflected the mod culture of the 1920s chicagoand starring Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly.
The musical explores themes including celebrity criminals, corruption and greed. The storyline revolves around a cunning lawyer who turns crime into fame.
This is the couple’s first public appearance since appearing together at the premiere of the Failed documentary Melania at the Kennedy Center in January.
US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump attend opening night
The White House’s Rapid Response X account also shared a video of the event, but the booing was less obvious in the video.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
Some members of the Chicago audience were unaware that President Trump was in attendance. Others received voicemails or emails telling them a “special guest” would be attending, The Independent reported.
The publication quoted Bobi Jo Swartz, a paramedic and paramedic firefighter from West Virginia, saying she was “absolutely shocked” when she saw the increased security at the venue, including bomb-sniffing dogs checking vehicles.
“I love it,” Swartz said. “I’m glad he’s a part of it.”
Trump’s last visit to the venue was to see one of his favorite plays Rice Les Misérables Last year, the president also received boos and cheers.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during the opening night of “Chicago” at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. /Evan Vucci/Reuters
The president has faced backlash over his insistence on having his name written outside the Kennedy Center.
His handpicked board voted on Dec. 18 to add the president’s name to the building, despite having zero legal authority to do so.
This has led to a string of musicians and performers boycotting the once-prestigious arts venue, which is currently scheduled to close on July 4 for a two-year renovation.
This week, Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty filed a motion in Washington District Court insisting that Congress had no room for revision in naming the Kennedy Center after slain President John F. Kennedy.
Trump has previously discussed his plans to spend “about $200 million” on renovations to the Kennedy Center after it closes. “It’s in very bad condition, very old, very rundown,” he said at the White House last month.
