Who Needs Art When We Have Trump?

Graphic by Téa Sklar

I remember the luminous atmosphere. A jewel-toned ceiling with a chandelier that looked like an exploding constellation. The excitement of watching a new show right before the lights go dim.

I was thirteen, nearly tripping onto my face in my oversized heels, over the moon at the prospect of seeing Cats live after growing up on the iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber soundtrack. 

This place cultivated my love of the arts and became a special bonding activity between my mom and me. We watched many shows together over the years and practically made it our thing—a tradition so special that the first plan we had for my winter break was to attend another.

This is what I was welcomed home to:

On Dec. 18, the Kennedy Center Board—generously stocked with Trump-appointed members and presumably zero people who can sing along to “Defying Gravity”—voted to slap the president’s name onto the institution. I guess who better to consult on the arts than a 79-year-old who can’t even match the right shade of orange? This initiative prompts the question everyone’s been wondering: Why do we need art when we have Donald Trump?

After this sudden name change, Trump then announced the center’s two-year shutdown, aiming to turn it into a “world-class” facility. Before his second term, the Kennedy Center was the nation’s busiest performing arts center, home to over 2,000 events every year, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera and LGBTQ+ Pride events. It served as a “living memorial” to John F. Kennedy and a beloved place for many residents of the D.C. area. Today however, Trump has banned acts relating to the queer community, and many musicians are refusing to perform at the center in protest. 

Very classy!

Trump believes he’s changing things up for the better, making the center “GREAT AGAIN” as its new Chairman, but in reality, he is destroying a wonderful place that celebrates creativity and the arts. The 48th Kennedy Center Honors telecast drew the smallest audience ever (a 35% decline), and ticket sales are worse than they’ve ever been (over 43% of seats went unsold in Fall 2025 after he began to take over).

I joke, and I kid, but this news has genuinely saddened me. I almost cried. I love Washington, D.C., and I love the Kennedy Center. As someone who grew up on its beautiful shows, I really do hope that it can return to how it once was. So future little girls and boys can get all dressed up in their dapper tuxedos or sparkly dresses and oversized heels, just like I did when I was younger.