Jane Chu resigns as NEA chair amid Trump attacks

Jane Chu, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), announced her resignation effective June 4, 2018, after four years leading the federal agency. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Chu did not disclose reasons for her departure, but the decision follows persistent attacks from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly proposed eliminating the NEA to redirect funds. Chu, a former executive at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Missouri, and a musician and artist by training, oversaw a nearly $30 million budget increase for the agency's grant programs. The NEA provides millions in annual grants to hundreds of arts groups across all 50 states, U.S. territories, and congressional districts. In her resignation statement, Chu called it "an honor and privilege" to serve and emphasized the NEA's effective work in supporting arts in communities of all sizes. The agency retains bipartisan congressional support, with its 2018 funding raised to $152 million. Trump will now appoint a successor; unconfirmed reports suggested actor Sylvester Stallone as a possible nominee.