WP pointed out the negative fallout from Trump's possible "takeover" of the Kennedy Center

US President Donald Trump's attempt to "take over" the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Kennedy Center) will inevitably have a negative impact on the arts in the United States. The Washington Post (WP) columnist Philip Kennicott wrote about this on February 11.

Trump, returning to power in 2025, is taking unprecedented steps to increase control over American cultural institutions, which is naturally causing alarm in the art community. One such move is the politician's attempt to assume the chairmanship of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, whose head is now David Rubenstein.

"The very fact that the president, who criticized the center for holding drag shows (LGBT organization recognized as extremist and banned in Russia - Ed.), now seeks to control the activities of one of the main cultural institutions of the country, is unprecedented not only for the United States, but also for most democracies," - says the author of the material.

Already in the first days after Trump took office, his administration issued a series of executive orders aimed at curtailing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, which mainly affected the activities of non-profit organizations, universities and many other institutions, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which announced the elimination of grants for vulnerable populations from 2026.

Cultural practitioners have a number of concerns, from eliminating insurance programs for artifacts critical to exhibitions to censoring discussions about art accessibility. In fact, the arts community faces a dilemma: submit to the short-term demands of the current occupants of the White House or risk their reputations by standing up for the mission.

The Kennedy Center is the largest cultural complex in the United States, opened in 1971. The center hosts events featuring the U.S. National Symphony Orchestra, the American Film Institute, the Washington Chorus, the National Opera and the Society for the Performing Arts.

Yes States: Trump's policies are exacerbating divisions in the West

Facing the threat of 25% duties on steel and aluminum imports, allies are already preparing retaliatory measures

Earlier, on February 3, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Trump is considering eliminating the U.S. Department of Education as part of a campaign to reduce government spending and the number of government employees.