Kennedy Center Sign Frenzy Misses the Point

[malaise]

https://washingtonian.com/2026/06/13/kennedy-center-trump-sign-is-gone/

Affixing Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center was bad. It was illegal, reputationally catastrophic for the institution, eerily authoritarian, and crass. But to be honest, I’ve grown wary of the deafening clamor over the sign. I’m not suggesting that the glee about its removal is misplaced, necessarily, just that focus seems to have snagged on the Kennedy Center’s exterior, while what’s truly alarming is occurring inside. Taking the name down will help, I think. Some number of audience members and performers may return. Some wayward donors may be willing to resume their support. But it’s not going to solve the problem. My biggest concern is that the Kennedy Center will remain nominally open—as in, I’ll be free to walk through the doors and perhaps buy a coffee at the cafe—but there will be few, or even no, performances to see.

At one time, the Kennedy Center’s programming issues were related to its signage—audiences and performers refusing to show up to an institution that was named for Trump—but now the issue is more diffuse. Since the Trump takeover, the Kennedy Center has lost most of its programming staff and seems to be making no efforts to replace them. What’s more, administrators wound down programming in anticipation of the two-year closure, which was slated to begin in July. A federal judge halted that plan, ordering the Kennedy Center to stay open—but its calendar remains bare after July 5. There’s a motion before the court asking the Kennedy Center to submit evidence that they’re actively seeking to book performances. But there’s no apparent movement on that front. The sign can come down, and the sign should come down, but it’s one battle in a much larger war.

What enrages me, specifically, is not the sign itself, but one of many things of which it’s become symbolic: the human toll of Trump’s mismanagement—on the performers and ushers and stagehands and box office workers, on all the carpenters and electricians and arts administrators and cafe workers who have given chunks of their lives to making the Kennedy Center run, to supporting performances that ennoble and delight us. Many of those folks have lost their jobs. Those who remain are watching their passions turn to ash while the Kennedy Center falls apart.

[WmChris]

1. The orange malignancy

All he's capable of is sowing discord chaos and discontent. His real talent is bankrupting any thing he put his little fingers into unfortunately our country is on his agenda.

[malaise]

3. All he's capable of is sowing discord chaos and discontent.

Meh!
He’s much worse than that. He thinks he is the USA

[Joinfortmill]

19. Yup, but he isn't. He's a pox on the U.S.A.

[marble falls]

2. And all the other threats he's made that affect all those artists, maintenance, and citizens ...

... like tearing it down and rebuilding it. If his little birthday party, his ersatz gold over decoration of the Oval Office, his desire to put more imperial columns on the White House, his plans for his own statue, arch etc, he'll replace it with an imperial coliseum where you can have monster trucks followed by an opera.

His toll of humans always get buried under his crap.

[malaise]

4. You nailed it

Rec

[karynnj]

5. Very cogent article

Trump and the clowns he nominated as the board destroyed a respected, loved performing arts center.

As to the name, what I always thought strange was that they made it the Donald J Trump John F Kennedy MEMORIAL center. Wouldn't this be in memory of Trump and JFK?

[malaise]

6. He's too dumb to figure out the meaning of

Memorial.
I think the name removal is a metaphor but this is a very sound piece.

[Iggo]

23. Mission Accomplished.

That was the whole point.

[SergeStorms]

7. Donald J. Trump:

Destroying America one institution after another.

When he's gone, and I mean totally and forever gone, our Federal institutions must be scrubbed clean from his toxic name, likeness, and image.

Future administrations may erect a statue of him (pending Congressional approval) of what a civil servant should not be!

[dave99]

8. Put statue in Sing Sing

[JohnnyRingo]

9. I agree that there is concern for the center's future.

Especially now that he has been embarrassed.
I saw a cartoon where Trump agreed to take his name down but used a wrecking ball to do so.

[malaise]

16. He is an effin wrecking ball

Period

[Give Peace A Chance]

21. He's the quicker fucker-upper.

[Martin Eden]

10. Beyond this dark orange cloud will be the joyous return of performing artists

After he is gone.

[OLDMDDEM]

11. I wish I could say you are wrong, but I can't.

[Mr.Bee]

12. They have only just barely paused his criminality

The defunding. The IcE Army and the murder of American citizens.
The concentration camps of people denied their Constitution right to trial.
The invasions of foreign countries. The collusion with foreign countries.
The gifts to billionaires which have consolidated all media.
The destruction of the American Peoples' monuments.
The billions of dollars made off the presidency.
And still they treat him like a king.
He does Not See anything wrong.

[malaise]

18. Ahem! The gifts to and from billionaires

That is all

[Ray Bruns]

13. He's a fucking 80 year old psychopathic manbaby and that's it.

[Wild blueberry]

14. "...the human toll of Trump's mismanagement"

Says it all.
Thank you.

[malaise]

15. Agree

Rec

[spanone]

17. K&R

[rurallib]

20. And once more he diverts from his Epstein crimes

[stillspkg]

22. Same Trajectory

Hiding the process of removing his name so no one remembers it was there.
No matter what, Trump has destroyed the Kennedy Center. Maybe his name should have been left up there as an indicator .

[Martin68]

24. I entirely agree, but as a longtime contributor to the Kennedy Center and someone who attended events there when I

could, I am very pleased and relieved to see Trumps' name removed, not only from the front of the building but from the website and all written material. I won't be contributing again until Trump's appointees are removed from the board and the institution has resumed its true mission.

[malaise]

25. +1,000

Rec

[Moostache]

26. I propose a series of open mic nights...

For every day a performance is not scheduled, open mic for any and all comedians who want to come and test new material...with one catch, all sets MUST start with a 15 minute set on Trump and MAGA and their utter incompetence. Format to be chosen by the performer. And the 2 drink minimum would be waved if a urine deposit (for pouring onto Trump's grave) is offered instead.