I didn’t want to be right: Trump closing Kennedy Center for Two Years

[See also some additional commentary on my ArtsJournal blog Row X]

Last June I wrote on my ArtsJournal blog Row X that President Trump and the leaders he installed at the Kennedy Center might temporarily close the Center using the excuse of renovations, when the real reason for closing or pausing programming would be in response to the embarrassment of cratering sales due to protesting audiences.

Tonight, President Trump announced that he was doing just what I feared: closing the Kennedy Center for 2 years for renovations (below).

When I wrote my post, I thought was a pretty unlikely possibility – and I don’t like being right that it has come to pass.

But it was predictable because it is in line with the political and rhetorical strategy that President Trump has always been known for: shift blame, distract, and confuse.

The actual problem is that audiences are not coming to the Kennedy Center as a form of protest, artists are pulling out – whole COMPANIES are pulling out of long term commitments (Washington National Opera) – long time staff are quitting, newly hired staff aren’t staying, and the people that are on staff clearly don’t know how to run an arts organization.

When presidential administrations change next, I think Congress needs to pass legislation changing how the the Kennedy Center board is appointed to prevent this kind of takeover again in the future.

Stay tuned – I’ll keep writing about this. What do you think? Comments are open.