Trump's cultural coup is doomed to fail

[marmar]

Trump’s cultural coup is doomed to fail
Artists are protesting Trump's Kennedy Center takeover — and creating art in defiance of his repression

By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published January 1, 2026 9:00AM (EST)


(Salon) Less than a month before he was gunned down in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy gave a memorable speech — the last major one of his life — at Amherst College. He spoke at length about the role of art in a free society, discussing its functions of challenging the status quo and holding a mirror to the nation’s strengths, as well as its flaws. Importantly, he exhorted artists to always remain true to themselves.

....(snip)....

For more than 50 years, the Kennedy Center has served as the capital’s premier cultural center — until now. Donald Trump, who has no concept of the meaning of either art or culture, had his flunky board commandeer Kennedy’s memorial by renaming it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center.” It’s bizarre that any living president, much less one who is still serving, would want his name on a memorial to a dead man, particularly one who is still revered by many Americans. But Trump is single minded in his desire to mark his territory no matter where his tinkle, to use a famous Nancy Pelosi term, splashes.

But all hasn’t gone according to Trump’s cultural coup. Many artists who have previously been honored to perform at the Kennedy Center, respectful of the former president who so poetically venerated their role in our culture and society, are now refusing to perform there. They don’t wish to sully this artistic institution and its history by participating in its seizure by a man whose ego is so large he insists on branding everything in sight, as if it’s the only way he can be sure he even exists.

....(snip)....

This is what art can do, and we can expect to see much more of it in the months and years ahead. America’s artists will resist this latest attempt at dictating conformity in a hundred different ways. They will resist, they will refuse, they will mock and they will summon all their talent and creativity to tell the truth. There is no way that Trump and his lame attempt at branding America in his image can possibly compete with that. ...................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/01/01/trumps-cultural-coup-is-doomed-to-fail/

[Doodley]

1. This strikes at the core of Trump's ego. He is in a catch-22. Removing his name is the only

way to save the Kennedy Center at this point. But removing his name will be too much humiliation for him. The dregs of the MAGA loving entertainment world will be called in to do their duty. It will be a shit-show and this story will drag on until he leaves office.

[young_at_heart]

2. It ought to "bother" his syncophants!

What he does is abnormal. What previous president has slapped his name on so many buildings? And he does it without permission or discussion. Our family has watched the Kennedy Center Honors every year with much enjoyment. This person has taken away something so special to the American experience and tried to insinuate himself into it. No decent person would go along with this!!