Trump Fussed Over Tablecloths and Rockettes for the Inauguration
Despite White House denials that he played a role, the president was actively involved in planning an event that’s now under scrutiny from federal prosecutors.
It was Christmas Day 2016, and President-elect Donald Trump had the Rockettes on his mind.
A few days earlier, James Dolan, chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden, had announced that the famous New York dance troupe would perform as part of Trump’s inaugural festivities. But some of the dancers were balking over Trump and his politics, a recurrent problem for those trying to lure top talent to play the inaugural. In a phone call with Tom Barrack, his longtime friend and chairman of his inaugural committee, Trump asked if the dance troupe was still locked down, according to two people familiar with the conversation. The Rockettes ultimately performed.