Trump takes over the Kennedy Center for the Arts---ticket sales drop by half..

[Syne]

Support doesn't mean anyone's angry if it doesn't happen. I'd like it to stay, especially if he gets it renovated. But I really don't care if it doesn't end up happening. It would likely be reversed by the next Democrat anyway.

Meh.

[Magical Realist]

Support doesn't mean anyone's angry if it doesn't happen.

Of course it does. Just like every other time the orange man-baby doesn't get his way. When he doesn't it's suddenly the big liberal conspiracy again controlling everything. It's basic MAGA 101.

[Syne]

I support his name on the center. It's not happening? Meh.

Yeah, I'm soooo angry. 9_9

[confused2]

AI..

Donald Trump did not make personal financial contributions to the Kennedy Center, but instead secured $257 million in federal congressional funding for building repairs and maintenance.

But..

Seems like it will close (for repairs?) unless he gets his name on it.

[Magical Realist]

It was Trump and his hand-picked MAGA board of directors that ran the center into the ground eventually bankrupting it. Nobody came to his cheesy concerts and no one famous performed there. Now Trump is threatening to not renovate it because he can't have his name on it, but Congress gave them 250 million for renovations last year. So the big fat man-baby loses in the end, at least after 2 years when his ass will be gone for good.

[Syne]

Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board votes to close institution immediately for renovations, source says
They've been planning to shut down for renovations since March.
And it was operating at a loss under Biden:

Or this Yo-Yo Ma story is just a distraction from the real news:

Former Kennedy Center Execs Fabricated Financials To Hide Deficit Spending, Internal Docs Show
Internal documents... reveal the extent of the deficit spending that occurred at The Kennedy Center under the Biden administration — a scheme that left the performing arts center deep in debt and could open leaders up to potential legal action.

Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell this week told the organization’s board of directors that, under the direction of recently departed president Debra Rutter, the group “found $26 million in phantom revenue, fake revenue.”

“It’s criminal,” Grenell said, adding that “We’re going to refer this to the U.S. attorney’s office.”
...
Program offerings under former Kennedy Center leadership may have contributed to its dire financial straits. Sources with knowledge of the Center’s financial situation tell... that its programming has a net margin of negative $72 million. Under Grenell, The Kennedy Center is focusing on shows that will sell tickets and appeal to a wider audience.
- https://www.dailywire.com/news/kennedy-c...ments-show

9_9

[Magical Realist]

What happened 5 years ago during the Biden Admin has nothing to do with it's present bankrupt status:


"... the institution faces real challenges. Large, legacy, not-for-profit institutions like the Kennedy Center generally depend on a balance of earned revenue, philanthropic giving and some amount of government grants.

The last president of the Kennedy Center, former Ambassador Richard Grenell, tried to insist that every performance be revenue-generating or at least revenue-neutral. Its current president and CEO, Matt Floca, was elevated from his position as head of facilities for the Kennedy Center. He has no experience in artistic direction, fundraising or arts administration, unlike his peers at similar centers across the country. No one else on the board has any known experience with similar performing arts institutions, either.

Both artists and audiences have fled the Kennedy Center over the past year plus, saying that it's become politicized under Trump. Its live event calendar is a small fraction of what it used to be. Donations have also dried up. It's unclear whether or not Trump's further imprimatur would change the situation."---- https://www.npr.org/2026/09/14/nx-s1-596...ical-state

[confused2]

It makes sense to run the center down to the point where it can no longer run as 'The Kennedy Center' .. Trump can then 'save' it and rightly call it the 'Trump Centre' .. possibly a cheap and somewhat crooked way to ensure there is a Trump Memorial Center .. as he lived so shall he be remembered.

[Magical Realist]

"President Donald Trump was captured in photos reading a posterboard inside Air Force One that appears to say "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED," raising questions about his intentions with the iconic institution if the president's name is not allowed on the building.

The photos, taken by Getty Images on Thursday, came hours after Trump told reporters that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will "end up being ripped down" unless major renovations are undertaken.

Trump and Kennedy Center officials aligned with the president say the center's poor condition poses safety concerns for visitors that require a major overhaul.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment seeking an explanation for the poster."

[Image: images-2026-09-17-T102641-910.jpg]

[confused2]

Time to ask an American..
Why has Trump latched on to the JFK memorial in this way?