Kennedy Center
---
MERRI OK
SEE CULTURE WAR WEDGE
CULTURE CAPTURE?
GRENELL
-=-=
-=-
an 10 26
Emails expose power play behind Trump's latest Kennedy Center shake-up
-=-=
Trump suffers legal humiliation in new Kennedy Center debacle
AN 10 26
---
CHUNK FELL 9 26 THREAT TO BULLDOZE, PPL MADE CHAIN
---
rww 9 26
- Federica Cocco and Naema Ahmed @ The Washington Post: The Kennedy Center was solvent when Trump took over. Then its finances collapsed.
The Post examined 15 years of the institution’s financial records to see why it went south after the president took over.
-=-=
name off kennedy ctr //
an 7 26
'Disaster': Kennedy Center employee reveals venue’s 'depressing' decline under Trump - Alternet.org
---
---
AN 3 26
Bill Maher getting Kennedy Center award — after Trump officials claimed he wouldn’t - Alternet.org
---
NORM EISEN VOW TO SCRAPE NAME OFF
CT 3 26
Artists detonate attack on Trump at the Kennedy Center - Alternet.org
AN 3 26
---
Kennedy Center president criticizes Hamilton production staff over alleged boycott
243 days agoWASHINGTON — In a statement released Monday, Ambassador Richard Grenell, president of the Kennedy Center, took direct aim at 'Hamilton' producer Jeffrey Seller and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, accusing the Broadway power duo of politicizing the arts and ...](https://www.wusa9.com/article/entertainment/kennedy-center-president-criticizes-hamilton-over-alleged-boycott/65-355fc4ad-5ca9-4fbe-97d6-922c9b84f280)
---
an 2 26
Donald Trump appears to have made a major mistake with his purge of top lawyers from the Department of Justice, as many of these "all-star" professionals are now joining the institutions fighting back against his presidency, in a turn of events one former attorney dubbed "idiocy."
On Tuesday, CBS News' top justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane shared a video to X and BlueSky detailing this trend, likening it to a sports team trading its best players to rival teams.
"It's hard enough to get by without your best players on the field, but you certainly don't want to play against them, and have huge adversaries when you play your opponents," MacFarlane explained.
The Trump administration, he argued, "has been getting rid of some of its all-stars" in the DOJ, and it is starting to become a huge "problem" as they join the efforts to "challenge the administration," essentially "joining the rival team." That is on top of the severe drain of professional experience and "institutional memory" that these hiring purges have cost the government across every department.
As MacFarlane laid out in the video, Trump's purge of these top lawyers was driven primarily by political motivations and a desire for personal retribution. Many of the attorneys who got the ax when Trump returned to the White House were the ones who had worked to convict Jan. 6 rioters, whom he gave a mass pardon early on in his term. He also cut many individuals who took part in the federal investigation of him during his time away from Washington, D.C.
"Some have been fired, some have been pushed out, some have said, 'You know what? I've had about enough of this politicized Department of Justice, I'm out of here,'" MacFarlane said. "I'm moving on to greener pastures."
MacFarlane gave the example of Mike Romano, a "storied, prolific" former DOJ lawyer known for his "incredible record" prosecuting Jan. 6 defendants. Since leaving the federal government in 2025, he has joined a firm handling "labor cases, among other things." He also recently testified before the Senate last week in a hearing where he "reinforced the truth about Jan. 6, that it was a righteous prosecution and an important prosecution, pushing back on the administration's false claims and lies."
He also highlighted the Washington Litigation Group, a nonprofit staffed with many individuals who previously worked with Jack Smithon the criminal cases against Trump. This group is now taking part in the fight against such things as Trump's effort to add his name to the Kennedy Center and the closure of a "key civil rights division" within the DOJ.
"These nonprofits and firms are capitalizing on the Department of Justice's idiocy," one anonymous former prosecutor told MacFarlane.
:{:{:{---}:
---
AN 2 26
Trump closing Kennedy Center was 'complete surprise' even to his handpicked board: report
---
3 ART SAME DAY AN 2 26
CNN is reporting that the real reason President Donald Trump announced the two-year renovation project for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is more about upcoming shows than about the project itself.
Host Dana Bash announced on her show Monday that there wouldn't be much programming to announce for Trump's newly renamed theater.
Several actors, singers, bands, composers, comedians and other performers are withdrawing from show commitments because they don't support Trump. After Trump announced that the center would be closing, he was ridiculed on social media.
"The Kennedy Center does not have a 2026 2027 season," a source told Bash. "There would not have been any programming to announce."
The move comes after Trump made himself the chairman of the Kennedy Center board, fired several others on the board and replaced them with loyalists. Trump then ordered new letters to change the name to the Trump-Kennedy Center and the board voted to affirm the name change.
Democrats note that because Congress established the xenter by law, the name cannot be changed unless it is also by law.
White House Associated Press reporter Michelle Price said closing the center is an interesting move because most of the renovations Trump wanted were not expected to require closing the entire building. Trump even boasted on Truth Social that he could have done all of his renovations without disruption, such as updating the upholstery and redoing the carpet.
"But we got to the point where the list of cancellations was longer than the list of people" performing, she noted.
"And it seems that something has changed in the last few days that he is pushing for this change now to close it for two years," said Price.
Last week, Trump's head of the Kennedy Center quit after just two weeks on the job.
The Kennedy Center audience is typically made up of people who live in the tri-state area of Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland. Those cities have all rejected Trumpism both in elections and in protests.
---
---
AN 1 26
Trump's new Kennedy Center hire quits after less than 2 weeks on the job
---
AN 1 26
'Can't stand on that stage': More artists are canceling Kennedy Center shows due to Trump
//
President Donald Trump appointed his acolytes to oversee the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and immediately began looting, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said in an interview with The Guardian.
“You float stuff and you float stuff and you float stuff until people get inured to what a stupid or outrageous thing it is that has been floated and then you pull the trigger," Whitehouse said.
As part of Trump's "renovations" of the Kennedy Center was ordering new letters to put his name on the building above Kennedy's name. Much like the Department of Defense, the name of the cultural center can only officially be changed by Congress, which established it in law. Still, the administration ordered the sign. Past appointees to the board were ousted. The new Trump board did a quick vote to change the name and within hours workers began installing Trump's name.
After Trump's moves in November, Whitehouse and other lawmakers began a formal investigation into accusations that the board were mismanaging the financials of the center.
Documents Whitehouse found it is being operated as a “slush fund and private club for Trump’s friends and political allies."
“We began to get information about mischief taking place at the Kennedy Center and we got strong enough signals that we mounted an effort to dig into it and see what seemed actually to be going on," said Whitehouse.
“It was out of that effort that the report and letter came, which basically suggested that, when the brigands took the ship, their first instinct was to loot it for their own benefit and hire their friends and put people up in fancy rooms at the Watergate [Hotel] and let favored organizations get free access and it was all part of a MAGA party atmosphere."
So far, under their leadership, the Kennedy Center has suffered from millions of dollars in losses. So, Whitehouse demanded the records from the new board chairman, longtime Trump pal, Ric Grenell.
Grenell responded alleging Whitehouse was making “partisan attacks and false accusations."
Any "financial chaos" has come not from his leadership but the previous president was “quite literally making the building fall apart."
One contract Grenell entered into was with FIFA to have exclusive use of the entire Kennedy Center from Nov. 24 to Dec. 12 for The World Cup events.
"Estimates provided by Whitehouse show this will cost the Center $5,038,444 in losses from direct rental fees, programming rescheduling, labor, food and beverage and other services. Multiple events were cancelled or rescheduled to accommodate FIFA," The Guardian report said.
Grenell claimed FIFA was paying for the expenses in lieu of a rental fee.
Whitehouse questioned the claim, saying nothing in the documents confirms Grenell's promises.
FIFA has been “brown-nosing Trump relentlessly and giving him comical peace trophies to butter him up and at the same time getting free access to the Kennedy Center," Whitehouse said about his concerns.
The PR person for the Kennedy Center claimed FIFA was giving more than the $5 million-plus in rental fees.
But the contract shows rental discounts have already been given to conservative groups.
The report cited a NewsNation deal, where the network scored a $19,820 discount for it's town hall. The American Conservative Union Foundation got a $21,982.60 discount as they hosted a CPAC event titled The Christian Persecution Summit. The Guardian reported that the contract file specifically cites “waived costs from OOP” (the Office of the President).
There's another contract paying $15,000 a month to Grenell’s former colleague. There are no details on the contract. Grenell swears his contract was "covered" by a donation.
In May, the Kennedy Center began paying $10,833.33 to Kari Lake's husband, Jeff Halperin to do "social media capture/editing" services.
There have also been hefty expenses on luxury entertainment and hospitality for "staff and associates." That's when Grenell billed the Kennedy Center for $27,185 for rooms at the luxury Watergate Hotel. Then there are dinners and lunches, champagne service and more for staff who also worked for Grenell's political organizations.
“If they weren’t paying the proper ordinary Kennedy Center rates, they’re being given a benefit and those benefits seem only to be going towards groups that are affiliated with Trump and MAGA. It’s basically a direct way to use this public facility to put money into the pockets of groups that are allied," said Whitehouse.
All of this is happening while the Kennedy Center is over budget amid falling ticket sales and major acts canceling shows. Grenell blamed the previous administration.
Whitehouse fears it's just the tip of the ice berg.
"I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of narrative enhancement to the MAGA movement. They will lie their way through very obvious facts to protect a narrative," he said.
---
Trump allies are looting the Kennedy Center: senator - Alternet.org
---
RWW
12/18/2025
by
- Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck @ The Washington Post: Dan Bongino announces he is leaving FBI deputy director job in January
Bongino told colleagues more than a week ago that he would not be returning to Washington headquarters this year, according to people familiar with the matter.
- Erkki Forster @ The Daily Beast: Trump Rants Incoherently at 2X Speed in Bonkers TV Address
The billionaire president’s delivery grew frantic as his speech on the economy wore on, ending with him practically shouting.
- Anna Merlan @ Mother Jones: How Benny Johnson Went From BuzzFeed Plagiarist to MAGA’s Chief Content Creator
He says he did “some very bad things.” But in Trumpworld, that’s a plus.
- Nicholas Confessore and Julie Tate @ The New York Times: ‘Don’s Best Friend’: How Epstein and Trump Bonded Over the Pursuit of Women
The president has tried to minimize their friendship, but documents and interviews reveal an intense and complicated relationship. Chasing women was a game of ego and dominance. Female bodies were currency.
- Warren Throckmorton: Tennessee Says Yes to Christian Nationalism
State partners with Turning Point USA to form clubs in every Tennessee school.
- Tess Owen @ Slate: Trad-Wife in Chief
Katie Miller, the wife of Trump henchman Stephen Miller, is trying to reinvent herself as a squeaky-clean model for MAGA women. People who knew her growing up saw someone far different.
- Steve Benen @ The Maddow Blog: Handpicked Kennedy Center board members vote to rename it the ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’
The president’s obsession with self-aggrandizement and self-glorification is pitiful, and it’s getting worse.
- Hemant Mehta @ Friend Atheist: Oklahoma's Supreme Court overturns Ryan Walters' Bible-heavy Social Studies standards
The judges rejected a Christian Nationalist curriculum that downplayed systemic racism, spread election lies, and pretended the Bible was history.
---
an 10 25
---
AN 12 25
Trump advisor melts down after report exposes lagging sales of MAGA-fied Kennedy Center
---
an 10 25
Insiders stunned by Kennedy Center’s 'truly shocking' downturn under Trump
---
---
an
Watch: JD Vance loudly booed for 30 seconds straight by Kennedy Center crowd
:{:{---}:
---
an 6 25
...It’s mildly ironic that on June 11th, just days before the protests, Mr. Trump attended a performance of Les Misérables, a musical about the French Revolution. It’s downright humorous that some patrons paid $2 million to sit in a performance box, attend a VIP reception with the President, and take a photo with him; while others paid no less than $100,000 to attend the performance, a reception and receive a photo of the demagogue.
---
RWW
06/02/2025
by
Last month, Right Wing Watch reported that Christian nationalist activist Floyd Brown had been appointed to serve as a vice president at the Kennedy Center, which President Donald Trump took over shortly after returning to the White House earlier this year.
Last week, CNN's Andrew Kaczynski reported on Brown's position and his history of bigoted and controversial statements. Kaczynski's reporting, in turn, quickly led to Brown's dismissal from his position.
On Friday, Brown appeared on "The Lance Wallnau Show" to discuss his firing, which he blamed on Satan.
Brown began by complaining that his controversial statements had all been made before he was appointed to serve as the Kennedy Center and therefore his dismissal was unjustified and unfair.
"First of all, I made those comments about three years ago, long before President Trump was chairman of the Kennedy Center and long before I accepted the position at the Kennedy Center," Brown said. "So, it really didn't have to do with my Kennedy Center job; you know, what I said in the past at a Christian conference."
"I wasn't going to disavow any of my Christian beliefs around traditional marriage," he added. "This video triggered a lot of the people that work in the higher up levels of the Kennedy Center and so it led to me being dismissed because of my beliefs and I think that's wrong."
"I was doing the job and I was doing it well," Brown insisted. "Every day that I went to work there, I was praying for Ambassador [Richard] Grenell. I was praying for the staff of the Kennedy Center. I was praying circle prayers around the building. I was praying hedge of protection prayers.
"I knew from day one, because of the discernment given to me by the Holy Spirit as a believer, that I was contending in a spiritual battle and that I was near the top of the mountain, I was near the gates, and I was contending with those spiritual powers at that gate," Brown declared, using language reflective of the Seven Mountains Dominionism theology that he promotes.
"I think the closer that I got to the gate and the more Christians I brought in the door, the more Satan was pushing back against what I was doing," Brown said. "We were making real progress, not only in the natural but in the spiritual, and so Satan counterattacked and I really think that's the main reason that I was fired."
---
---
Public and cultural institutions
Presidio Trust
Mr. Trump ordered the government to “eliminate to the maximum extent” the functions of the Presidio Trust, which oversees a San Francisco park and was one of Representative Nancy Pelosi’s proudest accomplishments.
The Smithsonian Institution
Mr. Trump issued an executive order claiming that the Smithsonian Institution had “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.” The order stipulated, among other things, that future appropriations to the Smithsonian “prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values.”
The Kennedy Center
The center has been in flux since Mr. Trump purged its previously bipartisan board of Biden appointees and had himself elected chairman.
---
---
duck 5 25
Kennedy Center VP dismissed after inquiry about history of anti-LGBTQ+ comments
Politico
2 hours ago
Floyd Brown accused Richard Grenell, a close ally of the president's, of "preemptively" firing him.
Kennedy Center vice president says he was fired after past writings, statements questioned
The Hill
3 hours ago
A former vice president at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts says he was fired by the organization following a CNN investigation into his previous comments on gay marriage. Floyd Brown, who served as the center's top fundraiser for only several weeks, wrote in a social media post this week he was fired after…
DOJ reaches plea deal with Dem donor who sought to bribe her way to Kennedy Center seat
Fox News
2 days ago
A California woman reached a plea deal with the DOJ after allegedly carrying out a conduit political donation scheme through co-workers and their family members, the DOJ said.
'Just not true:' Former Kennedy Center president responds to Trump's allegations of mismanagement
NBC Washington
19 hours ago
The Kennedy Center has been getting extra attention this year, but not because of performances on its stage. Now, its former president is speaking about the changes made to the D.C. cultural institution she once led — and accusations that she mismanaged that institution. In February, the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees — made up of members appointed by President…
JD Vance is booed at a Kennedy Center concert after Trump's takeover - The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
77 days ago
The incident put on display the outcry over Trump's decision last month to purge the Kennedy Center's once-bipartisan board of its Biden appointees and have himself elected its chair.
Far-right activist with history of anti-gay comments fired from leadership role at Kennedy Center after CNN investigation | CNN Politics
CNN
5 hours ago
Floyd Brown, a far-right political activist with a history of anti-gay rhetoric and promoting conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama, said he was fired from a senior leadership role he briefly held at the Kennedy Center — just hours after CNN reached out with questions about his past statements.
'They ruined this place': JD Vance and Usha Vance jeered as they attend concert
The Independent US
75 days ago
JD Vance Usha Vance were booed by a crowd as they attended a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, on Thursday, 13 March. The US vice president and second lady were jeered as they sat down to watch the National Symphony Orchestra. The venue has been in upheaval since Donald Trump forced out its leadership and took over as chair of the board of trustees.
Kennedy Center releases list of some performances canceled in last 6 months
NBC Washington
82 days ago
Weeks after President Donald Trump fired the board of supervisors for the Kennedy Center and installed himself as the chair, dozens of performances at D.C.'s arts center have been cancelled.
---