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The Kennedy Center has always held a revered place in our nation. This venue has celebrated many beloved performers, however, Donald Trump is attempting to erode its legacy piece by piece.
Initially, he took on the role of Board Chair of the Kennedy Center, causing notable figures like Ben Folds and Shonda Rhimes to step down, leaving us at the whim of Trump’s ambitions. He is now claiming that the Kennedy Center itself is in disarray and has intentions to renovate the illustrious theater. This situation is quite concerning.
During a recent inspection of the Kennedy Center, Trump offered no words of praise. “It’s in tremendous disrepair, as is a lot of the rest of our country, most of it because of bad management,” he expressed to the press. He also mentioned that the layout of the venue was perplexing to him. Notably, however, the center did see an expansion initiative while he was in office in 2019.
“I’m quite disappointed with what I see. The bottom line: It has tremendous potential. And we’ll be collaborating with Congress. … It’s a very public facility, and we’ll ensure it gets the attention it needs,” Trump remarked. “We intend to renovate it, but it symbolizes much about our country.”
These comments do not bode well. The last time the Trump family attempted to “revive” something, they ended up ruining a cherished garden at the White House originally redesigned by Jackie Kennedy. Consequently, the thought of Trump wanting to overhaul the Kennedy Center, especially after witnessing how his extravagant properties look, hardly fills me with confidence.
Seeing the Kennedy Center Honors fall under his purview is likely to be disheartening. I have little desire to witness performances by Mel Gibson and Kid Rock. However, his remarks regarding the complete alteration of the center do little to alleviate my concerns about this unfolding situation.
