# 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:** 24
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/461 "2026-06-13T15:11:03Z")
Story twist: they remove everything behind the tarp and the name will now be The John Orming Arts. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/462 "2026-06-13T15:12:58Z")
Or try to see how long they can leave the tarp in place. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/463 "2026-06-13T15:43:13Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Everything about Trump is waste. Wasted lives and huge amounts of wasted money and resources with unnecessary wars. You say “waste,” they say “opportunity to enrich themselves with all that free money,” I say “corruption.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/464 "2026-06-13T16:00:50Z")
In other news, a judge has stopped the removal of displays that cast a poor light on American history, like that damned slavery that everyone keeps yammering on about. The judge cited freedom of speech, if I’m recalling correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Beesnest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@Beesnest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beesnest)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/465 "2026-06-13T16:27:13Z")
Who is actually paying for the removal? Likely to be the Kennedy Center not Trump. Who will be responsible for non compliance? Again probably the Kennedy Center. If Trump’s agitation machine is in charge there is a lot of room for malicious compliance-ruining the facade or damanging enough to close the entrance. I hate this uncertain parallel universe. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/466 "2026-06-13T16:41:05Z")
According to the Associated Press, " The letters spelling out President Donald Trump’s name on the facade of the Kennedy Center are now gone, the executive director of the performing arts venue said in a legal filing Saturday with the court that had ordered the removal. A tarp continued to hang over the scaffolding constructed for workers to remove Trump’s name from the building, making it impossible to immediately detect whether the only words remaining on its white marble portico are “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.” Matt Floca, who is also the center’s chief operating officer, told the court that he was a “responsible official of the Kennedy Center” qualified to certify compliance with the order. He wrote that the board of trustees and the center have removed “all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds, including the front portico, that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump.” But still the tarp is up, and all supposed changes are hidden. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/467 "2026-06-13T16:42:13Z")
> [@Beesnest](#): > > Who is actually paying for the removal? Likely to be the Kennedy Center not Trump. Who will be responsible for non compliance? Again probably the Kennedy Center. Yes, but that is part of the point. Funnelling money away from the government unnecessarily. In this case, there’s probably not a direct financial benefit to Trump, but how were these workers selected? How was the pay determined? It might be above board, and just unnecessary, but there are limitless opportunities for corruption, and the green light for it is coming from the top. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/468 "2026-06-13T17:25:29Z")
Thanks for the video link. But I wonder if the nattering woman near the microphone is aware that her every word is being broadcast to the world! 😁 ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/469 "2026-06-13T17:31:20Z")
In this photo, from CNN, a worker appears to be holding a letter that has been removed: [![](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ap26164278867226.jpg?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp) ](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/ap26164278867226.jpg?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp) The CNN item from which the photo came: > **[Kennedy Center says it has fully removed Trump’s name from its building | CNN...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/12/politics/trump-kennedy-center-name-change-deadline)** > > The Kennedy Center has removed Donald Trump’s name from its building, its executive director said Saturday, erasing a symbolic fixture of the president’s remaking of Washington, DC. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/470 "2026-06-13T17:38:16Z")
Who made the decision to tarp off the view? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/471 "2026-06-13T18:09:48Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > In this photo, from CNN, a worker appears to be holding a letter that has been removed That’s the P. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/472 "2026-06-13T18:11:39Z")
Those letters are larger and fancier than I expected. I wonder how far in advance he had them made? ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/473 "2026-06-13T18:19:32Z")
I hope he is wearing rubber gloves. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/474 "2026-06-13T18:46:03Z")
Got to be Orange Stupidus. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/475 "2026-06-13T19:44:54Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Or try to see how long they can leave the tarp in place. If the tarp remains in place until the Orange Man-Child gets over his tantrum, it could be a long time! ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/476 "2026-06-13T20:14:56Z")
There are no events scheduled at the Center after the end of June. I guess now the plan is to let it sit vacant. The argument for keeping Trump’s name on it was that fundraising was dependent on that. He would rather see it crumble than allow it to function now. Unless somehow serious people can get back in charge, it will die, like everything he touches. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/477 "2026-06-13T21:01:59Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > Unless somehow serious people can get back in charge, it will die, like everything he touches. I’m sure he is directing his ‘board’ to not book anyone. Or just Vanilla Ice every night. He’s gonna kill it for sure. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/478 "2026-06-13T21:13:20Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I’m sure he is directing his ‘board’ to not book anyone. And to leave the tarps up indefinitely (“if I can’t have my name on the building, **nobody** can”). This is how the Orange Toddler thinks. He is indeed killing the fames Kennedy Center, much as he kills everything he touches. The director of the National Symphony Orchestra quit, the entire Washington National Opera quit their residency there, and many famous acts are refusing to perform there. Now the front of the building is defaced by sad-looking tarps that are there for no good reason. ETA: Remarkably, the “Trump and Kennedy Center” moniker has finally been removed from the website. It’s now just “The Kennedy Center”. Apparently someone doesn’t want to go to jail for contempt. ---
**Author:** ![betonbill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@betonbill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betonbill)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/479 "2026-06-13T21:26:10Z")
Just like with the East Wing, there was a lot of removal of objects on display at the Center, and some talk (true/false?) of selling some. Hopefully, the items were kept and are in storage somewhere. This needs to be investigated in detail to be sure that nothing is missing. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248/480 "2026-06-13T21:53:20Z")
Seven hours later, and the tarp is still up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-made-chair-of-the-kennedy-center/1014248.md?page=25)