Trump Is Set to Tighten His Grip on the Kennedy Center With New Move

[highplainsdem]

Source: Daily Beast

President Donald Trump is reportedly seeking to tighten his grip on the Kennedy Center.

An annual tradition since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors gala recognizes artists for their lifetime achievements in their field. Some of last year’s honorees included acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola and rock band the Grateful Dead. The honorees are selected by the center’s honors advisory committee, which the president reportedly has his eyes on next as part of his sweeping takeover of the center since he became its chairman.

Citing two sources briefed on the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity, The New York Times reports that Trump is hoping to gain control over who gets to be part of the selection committee. The Times also adds that the president is slated to speak at a Kennedy Center board meeting Monday afternoon, where a resolution detailing his proposed changes to its advisory committee will be discussed.

-snip-

The resolution, obtained by the Times, reportedly states that members of the committee “shall be appointed by the chairman of the board, and shall serve at the pleasure of the chairman.” The committee will then pass on its recommendations for honorees to the Kennedy Center’s president for approval, the Times added.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-tightens-his-grip-on-kennedy-center-with-new-move/

[Irish_Dem]

1. Trump is really going after the Kennedy legacy and family with a vengeance.

[no_hypocrisy]

55. I believe he hates the Kennedys (except for RFK Jr.) more than Obama and

Biden together.

[Irish_Dem]

56. Yes JFK is everything Trump will never be.

[wcmagumba]

2. I'm really looking forward to seeing Kid Rock and Melania in concert. nt

[MsSalvia]

12. Sean Duffy!

His talents as a male stripper need to be more widely appreciated!

[CountMyVote4Reality]

14. Song stylings of Laura Trump!

Nobody does shit better.

[BonnieJW]

20. No, Lara

Expect to see Lara Trump in concert

[Ray Bruns]

23. "Hee Haw live"

[NotHardly]

34. LOL ...that would be horrifyingly hilarious

[dem4decades]

3. Just rename it the Trump Center and bring in the topless dancers and porn stars.

[Hugin]

7. They'd be down to bear baiting and Shady Vance's all male jug band in a week. n/t

[Paladin]

9. He might as well do that, as far as I'm concerned.

trump has effectively killed the Kennedy Center for me. I want no part of any cultural establishment that trump is now using as toilet paper.

Hope lots of DUers watched the "60 Minutes" segment yesterday, about those poor kids and the Marine Band. Makes me want to vomit, just thinking about it. Blessings on all those who were involved in doing the proper thing...

[MsSalvia]

16. No more Shakespeare?

Othello is DEI!

[BonnieJW]

21. You're making a joke, but

Expect to see the trump name on the side of the building

[dem4decades]

39. That would be a joke.

[3auld6phart]

37. Pam Bondi

Sounds like a pole dancer, if ever…. She would be right in there. As one of trump’s favourite stripper.

[LucasD]

4. He only has one reason for this move

He's a thin skinned waste of DNA. It wouldn't surprise me if he has a little black
book with "MY ENEMIES!!" scratched in crayon on the cover.

This is the reason:

https://apnews.com/general-news-d43ea710f9ea44fbbbee15e510321ed0

[karin_sj]

28. From that article:

"The Kennedy Center Honors are in their 39th year, a period that has included six presidents — three Republicans, three Democrats — and all have taken time to welcome the recipients. But the 2016 election was noteworthy for the way A-list performers lined up behind Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, while Trump had relatively few celebrity endorsements.

Although the president has no say in who receives the awards, Colbert joked that next year’s honorees would include Scott Baio, Gary Busey and Meat Loaf."

Yeah, it's all about revenge and his petty grievances. Who would have ever thought in their wildest dreams about what has transpired between then and now? It's unbelievable and tragic.

[2naSalit]

29. To hell with his foul DNA...

He's an absolute waste of good air that should be put to better use by endangered species.

[Hugin]

5. This would be a good time for someone to form an Alt Kennedy Center.

All of these talented people simply sitting around looking for something to do. The plus, of course, is the craw it would gall as Trump’s hoedowns tried to complete.

Trump can confiscate the edifice, but he can’t capture the spirit.

[karin_sj]

31. This is a great idea

He'd probably outlaw it as a "terrorist organization," but they still ought to do it just to piss him off and show how lame and small in number his celebrity supporters are compared to those who still support democrats and democracy.

[Canada Kid]

6. How is this possible??

The most racist, antisemitic, vulgar, uncultured, uneducated, uninformed, vacuous, culturally vacant president in the entire history of the United States votes himself in as the Chairman of the Kennedey Center. AND NO ONE SAYS NO!!! This unsavory scum is worming his way into the very fabric of American society, blowing up any and all security programs set into place tens of years ago, causing economic havoc throughout the country, anointing himself as chairman of a respected cultural icon in America, creating an image of himself as some sort of pharaoh or demigod, AND THE COUNTRY IS SILENT??? The lack of outrage speaks volumes, it gives him the justification to carry on and do more outrageous stuff knowing he can get away with it. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU AMERICANS???

[PittBlue]

10. That is the most spot on description on that evil thing.

Thank you.

[LudwigPastorius]

46. It is possible because the legislators who wrote the National Cultural Center Act...

never thought a president would fire the entire board of trustees and replace them with toadies and sycophants who would, in turn, name him the chairman.

And, for 67 years, they were right.

[Joinfortmill]

8. He will be a stain on this institution. Impeach him

[Ocelot II]

11. Despots always try to take over the arts in order to decide what's appropriate

and what should be banned. Hitler did it, banning most modern art as "degenerate" and ordering it removed from museums (while the Nazis stole masterworks from museums and Jewish families all over Europe). Hitler was a failed artist; he painted in a bland, traditional style and couldn't even get into a prestigious art school. So his revenge was to ban the abstract and modernist art created by the artists (especially Jewish ones) who succeeded where he had failed. In the old USSR, the officially sanctioned style, Socialist Realism, extolled the virtues of communism and the Communist Party, and played a major role in the creation of Stalin’s personality cult. Trump knows nothing of the arts, but he'll get his revenge on the musicians who have refused to perform for his rallies or allow him to use their music. And he'll reward hack artists who will paint and sculpt images of him as a hero - like Stalin did.

[ms liberty]

27. Have you ever seen the movie "Max"?

It's an indy film about young Adolph and an art dealer/teacher portrayed by John Cusack. Decent movie but not a happy one.

https://g.co/kgs/pcFPWp6

[slightlv]

40. You've said what I've basically thought after reading the article.

It's imperative to the fascist to make everything about HIM. All economics, all politics, all people, all society, and all culture should twirl around him. Otherwise, it's just twaddle. And worse, it's harmful to the American Society. This is where we begin to open the door for American Christian Theocracy, thanks the the new Dominionists. Entertainment is one of the "mountains" they demand to claim as their own. Therefore, the field must be sharply observed, strictly controlled and censored lest we lose God's grace on us. "Society" is people living and working together in a community with a shared culture. The culture shared by the community of the Center is dangerous to the Fascists, because it can call them out -- both in real time and by bringing in art representing the "real" history of the country. Therefore, all art of any kind must be controlled. And will be. The extremist sects of christianism will make it so, with trump's help and assistance.

Just remember... for whatever the reason, whatever the situation, Everything Trump Touches, Dies.

[SupportSanity]

13. I'm waiting for this to happen:

Kennedy Center Selection Committee selects popular performer.
Performer declines invitation to perform at Kennedy Center.
MAGA all starts attacking performer.

What happens after the MAGA attack is what will get my attention:
Will invited performer change their mind and perform any way?
Will it turn into even bigger attack and cause cancellations in performer's schedule?

Truly I'm not looking forward to any of this to happen. But I think it will.

[FakeNoose]

42. He's only going to "honor" performers who would never refuse

Problem solved!

[EndlessWire]

49. Yeah.

The artists and performance people will probably decline to participate. Then, Orange Turd will get even with them. If I were an artist hoping to get into the awards there, I'd just wait. No need for anything to happen. All previous award winners need not to send their awards back. Just wait.

They can't now award any great singer who happens to be Black. I wouldn't participate in that. And now, those notified and invited to participate have to choose between getting honored by an Orange Bozo and being criticized by contemporaries in their industry. No, there's no real choice. The Kennedy Center is closed for now. Patience is required.

ETTD.

[Harker]

15. The "Kennedy" in the name of the place will be next. n/t

[Kid Berwyn]

22. The Trump Center for the Culturally Depraved

Dimdonnie’s got no clue. No matter how much “culcha” he appropriates, Trump will always mean “Traitor.”

[RazorbackExpat]

48. Eloon will want to rename it

The X Center

[Chipper Chat]

17. I fully expect Don to change the National Anthem to God Bless the USA.

And you thought the Star Spangled Banner had a difficult melodic line.

[Henry203]

54. That is a god awful song

[Bengus81]

18. Time to make a new "Ain't gonna play Sun City" video. 2025--Artists against FASCISM

Do it.............

[dreamland]

19. Maybe in his little mind, he can get Taylor Swift

And other artists who rejected him to perform for him.

[EndlessWire]

50. Hah!

Didn't musk offer to impregnate her? I'd consider watching a fist fight between musk and trump. All the while Kelce waits to finish both of them off.

[louis-t]

24. Once anyone with talent and brains refuses to perform there

it will be 2 hr show of him dancing to YMCA. On Tuesdays and Thursdays. Invitation only. Attendance mandatory. Forced to clap.

[orangecrush]

25. This will be the least of our problems

Going forward.

[slightlv]

41. I agree there are more pressing problems and will continue to be more

awful, pressing problems. Leaving people without money on which to live, disappearing people into the holes of black sites are but two that are more pressing. We could fill a page full of them, after only a couple of months in office.

But Culture is the soul of a nation. Kill it, and you kill it's soul. It's not as plain to see as people starving and dying... but soul sickness is real, and will only work to harden this country even more. And the only culture trump will allow is KKK and nazism.

[electric_blue68]

47. TY for an eloquent explanation.

[C_U_L8R]

26. Clearly, Trump has never seen Citizen Kane

Or else he took it as some kind of instruction manual.
Rosebud, fucker.

[ariadne0614]

30. Or Death of Stalin n/t

[Blackjackdavey]

32. Wiklpedia

All you have to do is browse the Kennedy Center's wikipedia page and it all becomes immediately clear, for example:

"Examples of recent festivals
In 2008, the center presented an exploration of the culture of Japan entitled Japan! culture + hyperculture.
The 2009 Arab festival was an unprecedented exploration of the culture of the 22 Arab countries in the League of Arab States, titled Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World.
In 2011, the Kennedy Center presented maximum INDIA, a three-week-long celebration of the arts and culture of the sub-continent."

"Since its establishment in September 1971, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has showcased jazz in solo, various ensembles, and big band settings."

"Performing Arts for Everyone"

"The current artists-in-residence..."

Etc....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_Center_for_the_Performing_Arts

The only mystery is why didn't he take it over within the first 24 hours because along with USAID it had to be at the top of the list.

[Marthe48]

33. What does it feel like to have nothing?

felon thinks he crushed the Kennedy Center, but there is nothing in his hands. The spirit of the arts is safe within the artists.

[IbogaProject]

35. Noted patron of the arts

Whew

[onenote]

36. Prediction: He will seek to have certain Kennedy Center Honors awards rescinded

Rescinding a Kennedy Centers Honor is not unprecedented. Bill Cosby was a a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1998, but his award was rescinded in 2018. It would be surprising to me if Trump doesn't seek to rescind the Kennedy Center Honors granted to certain artists who have criticized him and/or are prominent Democrats, such as Barbra Streisand, George Clooney, Bette Midler, Joan Baez, Robert DeNiro, to name a few.

[electric_blue68]

44. I was just thinking that

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

43. I still don't understand how he got to be the Chairman of the Board.

Doesn't he have enough to do with all his other 'duties'?

[onenote]

45. I'm sure he'll take care that it doesn't interfere with his golf schedule

Musk and Stephen Miller are handling everything else.

[bucolic_frolic]

51. What's the sense of a rubber stamp board?

We all know where this is headed. Just appoint Trump and let him make the decisions. It will be that way anyway.

[SupportSanity]

52. First prize: The winner gets Two Tickets to the Kennedy Center. Second prize: Four tickets to the Kennedy Center.

The old joke it came from was first prize - a week in Philadelphia. 2nd prize two weeks in Philadelphia.

[SupportSanity]

53. I'm guessing Russian Ballet will appear. Putin will be guest of the White House.

[rickyhall]

57. Donald the Hutt