Kennedy Center Renamed Trump
The Washington Post3 days
Kennedy Center Board Votes to Add Trump Name to Venue
Does renaming the Kennedy Center mark the restoration of patriotic values, or is it an assault on cultural independence?
Above: The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., US, on Dec. 18. Image credit: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Adding Trump's name to the Kennedy Center violates federal law prohibiting additional memorials, and reflects an authoritarian power grab over cultural institutions. Board members were muted during the vote that wasn't actually unanimous, and Trump explicitly acted in response to Jack Schlossberg's congressional campaign. This narcissistic makeover mirrors Trump's broader assault on democratic norms, from militarizing cities with low crime to seizing control of museums and data agencies.
Pro-Trump narrative
Firing the Kennedy Center board and reshaping its programming was a necessary correction to years of liberal propaganda and fiscal mismanagement. The center pushed inappropriate Marxist and LGBTQ content while wasting millions in taxpayer dollars, alienating average Americans who deserve art that celebrates rather than tears down the country. Legal precedent from Spicer v. Biden confirms presidents have full authority to remake these boards. Its renaming is only the icing on the cake.