(Minghui.org) The White House condemned the threats linked to Beijing (the Chinese Communist Party) that aim to disrupt Shen Yun Performing Arts’ performances, saying the Trump administration will take any such operations seriously and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a news briefing at the White House on March 17, 2025. (The Epoch Times)

“Don’t disrupt it,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a March 17 press briefing. “This administration will take that very seriously and hold you accountable.

“We obviously condemn any violence or threats of violence against American institutions.”

Leavitt made the comment in response to a question from a NTD reporter regarding President Donald Trump’s visit to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Monday afternoon.

Fake bomb threats targeting Shen Yun recently caused the theater to evacuate on Shen Yun’s opening day and metal detectors were installed at the entrance as a precaution.

While the police found no harmful objects and the performance proceeded smoothly, the incident was far from an isolated issue. The company, since last March, has faced dozens of similar emailed threats of violence during its global tour.

The company has called for an investigation after the Kennedy Center case, saying that, “If it doesn’t stop with Shen Yun, it won’t stop with somebody else.”

President Trump made his first tour at the Kennedy Center after overhauling the center’s leadership last month and taking over the institution as the chairman.

During the press conference Leavitt said President Trump, “hopes to restore arts and culture that embrace American tradition.

“Don’t disparage it, as we have unfortunately seen over the past several years,” she said, adding that she expects President Trump to give some input on where the center can improve and discuss future theater programs it will host under the new leadership.

Shen Yun and several cybersecurity experts said the Chinese regime is the most likely culprit for these interference operations against Shen Yun. Analysts said the issue carries security implications that must be addressed at the top diplomatic levels.

Over the years, Chinese officials made extensive efforts to cancel Shen Yun shows in various cities it toured to, through a combination of blackmail and economic coercion. The Falun Dafa Information Center in New York documented more than 130 instances of such efforts from Chinese diplomats and agents throughout 2024.

Previous Attempts to Target Shen Yun Prosecuted

In September and November 2024, two men received prison terms for their scheme to nullify Shen Yun’s nonprofit status by bribing the IRS.

Lin Feng, a 44-year-old Chinese national and U.S. permanent resident, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese communist regime and bribing an IRS agent in connection with a plot to target Falun Gong practitioners in the United States.

Lin worked alongside U.S. citizen John Chen, 70, under the direction of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official, to revoke the nonprofit status of New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts. The two attempted to bribe the IRS with $50,000 to achieve that goal. John Chen pleaded guilty in July 2024 after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.

Support for Shen Yun at the Kennedy Center

U.S. Senator Mark Warner from Virginia issued a congratulatory letter to Shen Yun on February 20, the first day of the performances at the Kennedy Center.

Senator Warner wrote, “The critically important role of the arts is to enable us to see the world and the human condition differently. The arts lifts our spirits and brings people together. They can free us to think and dream and sense, and this often proves invaluable. I hope that today’s event will be enriching for each member of the audience.”

In regards to the bomb threat Shen Yun received at the Kennedy Center, Texas Congressman Lance Gooden and former North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn published statements condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s threats and stressed that the regime’s efforts to sabotage the show will not succeed.

In his post on his X account on February 21, Texas congressman Lance Gooden wrote: “The Chinese Communist Party has a shameless history of targeting Shen Yun with bomb threats globally.

“Yesterday’s baseless bomb threat at the Kennedy Center was yet another attempt to intimidate.

“CCP sabotage efforts will not prevail.

“Shen Yun will continue to showcase authentic Chinese culture free from communist influence!”

Former North Carolina congressman Madison Cawthorn published a post on his X account on February 22. He wrote: “The CCP is ramping up efforts to target Chinese Dissidents in America, like Shen Yun.

“The American people will not cower in the face of threats to freedom.”