Trump’s Kennedy Center Shakedown
The Atlantic reports on President Trump's attempts to leverage financial support for the Kennedy Center in exchange for naming rights. Critics describe the move as political blackmail, noting that the institution's financial struggles are linked to the administration's previous hostile takeover attempts.
Why it matters
The story illustrates ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and cultural institutions, raising questions about the ethics of political influence on public landmarks.
The only appropriate option is to refuse to accede to his demands.
Christine Kao / The Washington Post / Getty September 14, 2026, 5:58 PM ET Share Save The saga of Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to slap his name onto the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will not go away. In May, Trump lost in court and was ordered to remove his name from the building. But now—according to a 57-page presentation by Trump’s hand-picked executive board obtained by The Washington Post —the Kennedy Center is warning that it will likely go bankrupt. Unless, that is, Trump gets to put his name back on the wall next to that of his slain predecessor.
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