# Trump is Made Chair of the Kennedy Center **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [February 12, 2025, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248 "2025-02-12T21:55:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/201 "2025-12-30T03:14:47Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > One could perhaps enlighten all of the crimes and hipocrisies going on. Use a sharpie. I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/202 "2025-12-30T09:18:05Z")
Couldnt the artists claim sore throat, uable to perform? That should be a valid excuse? Just get a friendly doctor to write a note confirming this? Lots of concerts are being canceled due to the artists bad health arent they? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/203 "2025-12-30T10:18:20Z")
That happens, but most event venues and/or promoters would carry “event cancellation insurance” that would indemnify them if a performer had to back out at the last minute for whatever reason. Mick Jagger suffers a sudden illness that prevents the Stones from performing at Madison Square Garden tonight? Event cancellation insurance will refund all sold tickets, plus other costs incurred by the cancellation. If the Kennedy Centre had such, as I’m sure it did, then they are out nothing, and have no basis for a lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/204 "2025-12-30T10:35:15Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > If the Kennedy Centre had such, as I’m sure it did, then they are out nothing, and have no basis for a lawsuit. When has Trump ever needed a legitimate reason to sue someone? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/205 "2025-12-30T14:49:41Z")
@Spoons , would event cancellation insurance cover reputational damage? Would they still be able to make a claim that the very public cancellation, not for inability to perform but for political reasons, damaged their reputation as a reliable performing arts centre, and that damage isn’t covered by cancellation insurance? (Yeah, yeah, damaging Trump’s reputation — work with me here. 😁 ) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/206 "2025-12-30T16:29:38Z")
> [@Loggins](#): > > Couldnt the artists claim sore throat, uable to perform? That should be a valid excuse? Just get a friendly doctor to write a note confirming this? Lots of concerts are being canceled due to the artists bad health arent they? That kind of defeats the purpose of their protest. I think the whole point is to make a statement, not an excluse. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/207 "2025-12-30T17:08:55Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > That kind of defeats the purpose of their protest. I think the whole point is to make a statement, not an excluse. How 'bout if they cancel due to bone spurs? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/208 "2025-12-30T17:39:50Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > (Yeah, yeah, damaging Trump’s reputation — work with me here. 😁 ) That’s a perfectly valid point as Trump considers his “reputation” damaged at the slightest provocation. Hence his tirades against Jimmy Kimmel, Steven Colbert, and the utterly reprehensible insults against Rob Reiner after his death, which was a new low even for Trump. It absolutely would be in character for him, after all the damage he’s done to the Kennedy Center, to embroil it in a series of vindictive and pathetic lawsuits against leading artists. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/209 "2025-12-30T21:09:02Z")
I don’t think so. It’s designed to cover things that can be proven, such as are listed on an invoice or receipt. So such coverage would pay the refund for tickets that have already been sold, concession items that have been purchased for the event, the costs of staff (e.g. janitors, lighting technicians, etc.) who have prepared the venue for the event, and similar. “Reputation” wouldn’t be a dollar figure on an invoice or receipt; therefore, I doubt that event cancellation insurance would cover it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2025, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/210 "2025-12-30T21:30:42Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > How 'bout if they cancel due to bone spurs? > **[https://i.redd.it/4c4bz4zncm661.png](https://i.redd.it/4c4bz4zncm661.png)** ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/211 "2025-12-31T02:24:40Z")
Grenell’s gonna have to sue a lot of people at this rate. > **[A flood of Kennedy Center cancellations are ruining Ric Grenell's holiday...](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/12/a-flood-of-kennedy-center-cancellations-are-ruining-ric-grenells-holiday-season/)** > > Artists are pulling out of performances to protest Trump renaming the Center after himself. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/212 "2025-12-31T05:34:20Z")
Honestly, I didn’t see this one coming… [![](https://i.imgur.com/0vcVsbh.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/0vcVsbh.png) [https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-shared-clip-calling-to-remove-kennedy-name-from-kennedy-center](https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-shared-clip-calling-to-remove-kennedy-name-from-kennedy-center) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/213 "2025-12-31T05:53:56Z")
Trump retweets anything that he thinks flatters him. Lately he’s even been retweeting a Taiwanese bot account impersonating his press secretary. > **[Trump keeps reposting messages from a fake Karoline Leavitt account](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-posts-karoline-leavitt-fake-account-b2892343.html)** > > The president shared content from the account, which is clearly labelled as a ‘parody,’ as part of a flurry of posts from his Truth Social account on Christmas Day ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/214 "2026-01-01T02:54:40Z")
It’s come out that the the bylaws [were changed earlier this year](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/trump-kennedy-center) to specify that the only people who could vote on issues, like renaming, were people that Trump appointed to the board. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/215 "2026-01-01T08:39:48Z")
Trump retweeted a video suggesting that the Kennedy name be removed from the Kennedy Center. [https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-shared-clip-calling-to-remove-kennedy-name-from-kennedy-center](https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-shared-clip-calling-to-remove-kennedy-name-from-kennedy-center) ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/216 "2026-01-01T12:53:25Z")
Kelly is doing cabinet secretary level of sucking: “ **We have to have an honest conversation about the 35th president of the United States.”** 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/217 "2026-01-01T12:59:40Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > Trump retweeted a video suggesting that the Kennedy name be removed from the Kennedy Center. This is of course the context: > **[Trump elevates social media posts attacking grieving Kennedys](https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-tatiana-schlossberg-truth-social-b2892589.html)** > > President Donald Trump reacts to death of journalist Tatiana Schlossberg from blood cancer by posting screenshots of criticism of her famous political family Hit them when weakened. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/218 "2026-01-01T19:42:46Z")
Looks like it’s more than a name change. The grifting started last spring; > [@](#): > > Contracts reveal steep rental discounts were provided to conservative groups: NewsNation received a $19,820 discount for a town hall event; the American Conservative Union Foundation received a $21,982.60 discount for a CPAC gathering entitled [The Christian Persecution Summit](https://www.cpac.org/post/cpac-christian-persecution-summit-confronting-the-escalating-global-crisis). The contract file explicitly notes “waived costs from OOP” (the Office of the President). > > Whitehouse added: “If they weren’t paying the proper ordinary Kennedy Center rates, they’re being given a benefit and those benefits seem only to be going towards groups that are affiliated with Trump and Maga. It’s basically a direct way to use this public facility to put money into the pockets of groups that are allied.” > **[‘Their first instinct was to loot’: how Trump’s acolytes are plundering the...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/01/trump-kennedy-center-canceled-programs)** > > Sheldon Whitehouse, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, remains undeterred and determined to press on with his investigation ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/219 "2026-01-01T20:06:24Z")
In America it’s only looting if you’re black. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/220 "2026-01-03T02:00:51Z")
I wonder if Grenell has filed any of those lawsuits yet. > **[The New York Times (@nytimes.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/nytimes.com/post/3mbi43fidhh2e)** > > Breaking News: The “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz said he would no longer host a gala at the Kennedy Center after its Trump-era changes. > https://nyti.ms/4qaGq4a [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248.md?page=12)