# 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:** 14
**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:** [February 2, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/261 "2026-02-02T00:17:57Z")
Trump has a long running habit of doing things like this on anniversaries of things. Off the top of my head, it’s normally to be an asshole to someone (ie removing Michelle Obama’s school lunch program on her birthday). It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the grand opening for whatever he turns it into is also on a 4th of July so he can have an anniversary parade every year. It’ll be cheaper since he’ll find a way to route a regular Forth Of July parade past it, but call it a Trump [whatever he names the new place] Parade. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/262 "2026-02-02T00:18:15Z")
I’d like to see an impartial inspector’s assessment of the condition of the building. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2026, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/263 "2026-02-02T00:20:53Z")
An awe-inspiring parade led by the squeaky wheeled tank. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/264 "2026-02-02T00:25:12Z")
And I would like to see the entire building sprinkled with purple fairy dust and filled with miniature dragons. Equally likely. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/265 "2026-02-02T00:29:50Z")
Maybe he’ll tear down the building and build his arc de l’échec\* on the spot. Or his 100K seat stadium. Ah, the possibilities… * * * \* “failure” according to Google translate. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/266 "2026-02-02T00:36:20Z")
I think the announcement that the Kennedy Center is closing is a way to manage the fact that few performers are willing to perform there. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/267 "2026-02-02T01:08:14Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > If it actually does reopen in 2 years, I shudder to think what monstrosity it will be. Gold gewgaws all over the place, I’d guess. I’m also thinking that this is some sort of excuse to close the place. Not for renovations, though some token work might take place, but because nobody of any worth or talent wants to perform there anymore. ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/268 "2026-02-02T01:15:53Z")
Trump wants to close down The Kennedy Center for 2 years, so he can demolish the original building and in its place construct something that will exclusively be The Trump Center. And he doesn’t have the decency of being dead yet. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2026, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/269 "2026-02-02T01:18:07Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I’m also thinking that this is some sort of excuse to close the place. That would be my assumption. If the place was still booking acts and selling seats, there’s no way Trump would close it. If anything, he’d have as much of it gilded (or spray painted gold) as he could. Something I’m curious about with things like this, the White House addition, everything else he did in the White House and whatever else he’s done this to that hasn’t made the news, is whether the next Democrat in office will undo it all. Of course we’d want them to do that, but the optics of throwing a ton of money at something that Trump already wasted a ton of money on might not look so hot. On the other hand, if the voters are okay with it, it makes for some good and easy campaign promises. Trump replaces the Kennedy Center with something unrelated and named after him so the the next person can promise that they’ll build a new Kennedy Center, they can promise to fix everything he did in the WH, including the ball room etc. In other words, they can promise to erase as much of his legacy as they can. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/270 "2026-02-02T01:21:13Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Something I’m curious about with things like this, the White House addition, everything else he did in the White House and whatever else he’s done this to that hasn’t made the news, is whether the next Democrat in office will undo it all. I propose that we bring back _damnatio memoriae._ > **[Damnatio memoriae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damnatio_memoriae)** > > Damnatio memoriae (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Classical Latin pronunciation: \[damˈnaːti.oː mɛˈmɔri.ae̯\]) is a modern Latin phrase meaning "condemnation of memory" or "damnation of memory", indicating that a person is to be excluded from official accounts. There are and have been many routes to damnatio memoriae including the ... ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/271 "2026-02-02T01:22:31Z")
[![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55072375597_143830fc91_b.jpg "20260201\_192055") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/68782016@N08/55072375597/) ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/272 "2026-02-02T01:44:24Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > . . . whether the next Democrat in office will undo it all. Of course we’d want them to do that, but the optics of throwing a ton of money at something that Trump already wasted a ton of money on might not look so hot. Spending a ton of money on it definitely would not look hot. Suppose that the country is still closely divided (at least for the highest turnout elections). Then spending a ton of money on the East Wing, and tearing down the Arch, and undoing the Kennedy Center redo, and whatever other D.C. defacements Trump comes up with, would alienate swing voters. But suppose we are in a depression three years from now, leading to a 2028 Democratic Party landslide. Then spending a ton on money in D.C. when the rest of the country was so badly off would be highly unpopular. My idea is to repurpose what Trump does rather than tearing it down, such as by letting D.C. schools use facilities. That could work with almost any defacement of the Kennedy Center Trump does, I guess. Or will he just tear it down and never get to the rebuild? ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/273 "2026-02-02T01:57:10Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Or will he just tear it down and never get to the rebuild? That’s my thinking. Taking over the Kennedy name didn’t work so he will just bury it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/274 "2026-02-02T02:04:03Z")
Tearing down his Arch of Narcissism and undoing his other garbage can be managed without anywhere near the cost of Trump’s follies. And repurposing some things for the people’s benefit could be popular with voters. Building and remodeling spending will be nothing compared to the cost of reversing the legacy of his destructive policies. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/275 "2026-02-02T02:20:34Z")
Tearing down Trump’s vanities will be cheaper if they sell the right to press the button on the explosive charge, or swing a sledgehammer to destroy a small part of it. I think many would be happy to do so. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/276 "2026-02-02T02:35:56Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Building and remodeling spending will be nothing compared to the cost of reversing the legacy of his destructive policies. I agree with that. But reversing the legacy of his destructive policies requires legitimately keeping MAGA out of power election after election. And if you spend what seems to the average voter a lot of money to, say, restore the acoustics of an opera house to what it was before Trump messed it up to host wrestling, swing voters will be turned off. Sorry folks, but Trump is not an idiot. He is doing these D.C. projects because they are a legacy that will be hard to undo. What progressive internet posters want done to erase the MAGA legacy is not necessarily what a practical Democratic Party politician should do. Another point – what I really want to undo is rule by decree dictatorship, of which today’s Kennedy Center tweet is an example. So undoing whatever Trump does to the Kennedy Center requires a new law and appropriated funds and a (hopefully expedited) environmental impact study. Even if the filibuster goes away, it is going to be hard to get the redo through Congress. I’d rather they spend the time on universal health care. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/277 "2026-02-02T05:08:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The Kennedy Center is closing, and presumably being torn down, because n̶o̶b̶o̶d̶y̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶T̶r̶u̶m̶p̶ it needs renovations to make it the bigliest most tremendous performing arts center that has ever existed in history. This announcement comes two days after _Melania_ played at the center. It was so bad, they need two freaking years to recover. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2026, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/278 "2026-02-02T06:19:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I think the announcement that the Kennedy Center is closing is a way to manage the fact that few performers are willing to perform there. Wasn’t it just mere weeks ago that he was gonna replace all the seating with “magnificent” new seats featuring comfortable marble armrests? 😁 When I first read about the closing I thought it was a joke. Turns out, the joke is the Orange Imbecile. Truly, everything he touches turns to shit. He’s destroyed the East Wing of the White House, turned the storied Oval Office into a tasteless monstrosity of gild, appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center and renamed it after himself and then closed it when no one would perform there except Kid Rock and Ted Nugent. Trump: truly the bestest president ever! ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/279 "2026-02-02T21:05:06Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I think the announcement that the Kennedy Center is closing is a way to manage the fact that few performers are willing to perform there. That seems to be what CNN is reporting. Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. On the other hand, can Kid Rock and Ted Nugent and Lee Greenwood really be so busy nowadays they couldn’t have rotating residencies at the Kennedy Center? Excuse me. I just threw up in my mouth a little. > **[Just changing the carpets? Here’s the real reason President Trump might be...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/02/politics/video/inside-politics-kennedy-center)** > > After President Trump put his name on the Kennedy Center, several performers canceled their productions. Now, a source familiar with the center’s programming tells Dana Bash the performing arts center didn’t have enough programming for the 2026-2027... ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/280 "2026-03-01T07:00:21Z")
Even though the Center will be closing for a couple years, the Honors will continue–although naturally with a new name: > As was the case with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, **the annual Kennedy Center Honors will be renamed to Trump Kennedy Center Honors**. Executive Director Richard Grenell confirmed the news in a Washington radio station interview in which he said that the new honors will take place this year in a smaller venue given that the former Kennedy Center will close for a two-year renovation project. Grenell said, “It will definitely go forward. **It will probably just be in a smaller venue, which just means ticket demand will be even higher.** ” > **[Kennedy Center Honor Awards Get Renamed - OperaWire](https://operawire.com/kennedy-center-honor-awards-get-renamed/)** > > Just like the Kennedy Center, the annual Kennedy Centers will be renamed to Trump Kennedy Center Honors. Latest cancellation: San Francisco Ballet cancels Kennedy Center performances this spring: [https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/sf-ballet-kennedy-center-21947217.php](https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/sf-ballet-kennedy-center-21947217.php) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248.md?page=15)