Trump's Kennedy Center embarrassment came from an 'error' he can't stop making: analysis [View all]

Trump's Kennedy Center embarrassment came from an 'error' he can't stop making: analysis
Adam Nichols
February 3, 2026 7:00AM ET


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Instead, he announced over the weekend that the center will go dark on July 4 for two years — an implicit, even if covered up, acknowledgment of failure, Graham wrote. And Trump's dealings with the arts center reflected a consistent pattern — believing his judgment supersedes expert opinion and that a "silent majority" supports his interventions............................




In December, after adding his name to the building's facade, Trump boasted: "We saved the building. The building was in such bad shape, both physically, financially and every other way. And now it's very solid, very strong." One month later, he claimed: "A year ago it was in a state of financial and physical collapse. Wait until you see it a year from now!!! Like our Country, itself, it will rise from the ashes."

Now Trump declares the center will be closed and dark for two years. His contradictory statements, combined with the absence of independent board oversight or Congressional notification, render these repair claims largely unverifiable, Graham wrote.


............"A more plausible reason for the closing is that under Trump, the Kennedy Center can’t hold on to staff, artists, or audiences," he added.