Trump SHUTS DOWN Kennedy Center after MASS RESIGNATIONS!!!

What this episode is about

Donald Trump has announced the shutdown of the Kennedy Center for at least two years following extensive staff resignations and performer cancellations, attributing the decline in its success to his controversial association with the venue. Critics highlight this decision as part of a pattern in which Trump has negatively impacted various business ventures bearing his name.

Key takeaways

• Trump's brand of chaos is now a demolition crew for the once-esteemed Kennedy Center.
• Only Trump could turn a national monument into a personal logo—and then bankrupt it.
• With a track record of financial failures, is anyone surprised Trump's 'revitalization' flopped?
• Every performance cancellation at the Kennedy Center is a standing ovation for Trump's 'leadership.'
• A monument to Kennedy now serves as an exhibit of Trump’s unparalleled knack for failure.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Ben Folds (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Jim Maccasta (Guest) · 1 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Kennedy Center, Donald Trump, Trump Modeling, Trump University
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Kennedy Center, Donald Trump, National Symphony Orchestra, Philip Glass
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Kennedy Center, Donald Trump, Jim Maccasta, John F. Kennedy
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Kennedy Center, Hamilton, Philip Glass, Renee Fleming
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Ben Folds, Kennedy Center, National Symphony Orchestra
6. 15:00 – 17:51: Kennedy Center, Donald Trump

Notable quotes from "Trump SHUTS DOWN Kennedy Center after MASS RESIGNATIONS!!!"

• Donald Trump has bankrupted yet another thing that he slopped his name on. And the once thriving, successful, and profitable Kennedy Center has been run into the ground in…

  about Kennedy Center · at 0:23

• And from that time till now, the only stoppage was a short period of time, March 2020 to September 2020 for the COVID pandemic. Then Donald Trump renamed the Kennedy Center unlawfully to.

  about COVID-19 pandemic · at 3:42

• Soprano was to have appeared with conductor James Gaffagan and the National Symphony Orchestra and Renee Fleming says that she's withdrawing the two scheduled May appearances…

  about Renee Fleming · at 4:37

• It was named after President Kennedy after he was assassinated.

  about John F. Kennedy · at 7:00

• Look right here at who has canled their Kennedy Center performances since Trump took over. Obviously, Hamilton canled pretty soon after Trump took over. Cam Hamilton released…

  about Hamilton · at 8:59

• And then my friend Ben Folds resigned from the National Symphony Orchestra back last February. Ben Folds was the artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra. And he…

  about National Symphony Orchestra · at 12:24

• Saying that I understood how events would unfold exactly, but it was clearly the first step of it was an authoritarian move. It was an authoritarian first step. And like…

  about Ben Folds · at 13:23

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Donald Trump — Person · Primary subject (criticized political figure) · 9 mentions · first at 0:03
  Central figure accused of unlawfully renaming and mismanaging the Kennedy Center, triggering resignations/cancellations and a proposed multi-year shutdown.
  After mass resignations of staff, after mass cancellations by performers, Donald Trump has announced that he will be shutting down the Kennedy Center, which he desecrated by calling the Trump Kennedy Center. He says he's shutting it.
• Ben Folds — Person · Referenced artist/interviewee (resignation example) · 3 mentions · first at 12:24
  Discussed as resigning as artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra and providing commentary framing the takeover as authoritarian and harmful to arts governance.
• Renee Fleming — Person · Referenced performer (cancellation example) · 2 mentions · first at 4:32
  Cited as a high-profile artist who withdrew scheduled Kennedy Center appearances amid leadership upheaval.
• Philip Glass — Person · Referenced composer (cancellation example) · 2 mentions · first at 4:48
  Presented as withdrawing a Kennedy Center premiere (Symphony No. 15) because the institution's current values conflict with the work's message.
  Fleming says that she's withdrawing the two scheduled May appearances at the Kennedy Center. Philip Glass in the past week to 10 days cancelled the Kennedy Center premiere of…
• John F. Kennedy — Person · Referenced historical figure (namesake of memorial) · 3 mentions · first at 1:56
  Invoked to emphasize the Kennedy Center as a memorial institution and to frame the renaming as a desecration of a national monument honoring him.
• Jim Maccasta — Person · Referenced journalist (clip/source) · 1 mention · first at 6:13
  Quoted as an on-the-ground independent journalist asserting that only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center and criticizing the alleged vandalism/renaming.
  Putting his name on it. and he just needs to understand that first of all, he can't do this single-handedly. Only Congress can authorize a change of name to the Kennedy Center.…
• Aaron Parnes — Person · Referenced commentator (social media/YouTube creator) · 1 mention · first at 8:29
  Cited for a remark amplifying the narrative that the Trump family premiered 'Melania' and then the Kennedy Center closed shortly after.
  Are cancelling. And now Donald Trump has fully capitulated and shut down the Kennedy Center. Our friend Aaron Parnes, who's got a great YouTube channel now through the Midas…

Companies & orgs

• Kennedy Center — Company · Business focus · 25 mentions · first at 0:09
  Central to the discussion as the entity being shut down by Donald Trump, highlighting its historical significance and current turmoil.
• National Symphony Orchestra — Company · Referenced entity · 2 mentions · first at 4:41
  Mentioned as one of the performers cancelling appearances at the Kennedy Center due to the current administration's actions.
• Trump University — Company · Referenced entity · 2 mentions · first at 0:23
  Listed among the failed businesses associated with Donald Trump, illustrating a pattern of business failures.
  Trump businesses that failed. Trump stakes, Trump vodka, Trump board games, Trump University, Trump mattresses, Trump ice, Trump shuttle, Trump vitamins and urine test kits.…
• Trump Modeling — Company · Referenced entity · 3 mentions · first at 0:23
  Mentioned as another failed business venture under Donald Trump's name.
  Trump ice, Trump shuttle, Trump vitamins and urine test kits. Tor Day Trump, New Jersey Generals, Trump Modeling, Trump Princesses, Trump Mortgages, Trump Success Cologne…
• Trump Entertainment — Company · Referenced entity · 2 mentions · first at 0:23
  Cited as part of the list of Donald Trump's business failures.
  Donald Trump has bankrupted yet another thing that he slopped his name on. And the once thriving, successful, and profitable Kennedy Center has been run into the ground in record time. As our.
• Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts — Company · Referenced entity · 2 mentions · first at 0:23
  Another example of a business venture by Donald Trump that ended in failure.
  Donald Trump has bankrupted yet another thing that he slopped his name on. And the once thriving, successful, and profitable Kennedy Center has been run into the ground in record time. As our.

Places & events

• COVID-19 pandemic — Event · Referenced event · 1 mention · first at 9:46
  Mentioned as the only previous time the Kennedy Center had to close, contrasting with the current shutdown.

Media & podcasts

• Hamilton — Media · Referenced entity · 3 mentions · first at 9:04
  Highlighted as a significant show that cancelled its performance at the Kennedy Center in protest of the new administration's actions.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 After mass resignations of staff, after mass cancellations by performers, Donald Trump has announced that he will be shutting down the Kennedy Center, which he desecrated by calling the Trump Kennedy Center. He says he's shutting it down for at least approximately 2 years, and it may be shut down even longer. Donald Trump has bankrupted yet another thing that he slopped his name on. And the once thriving, successful, and profitable Kennedy Center has been run into the ground in record time. As our editor-inchief, Ron Philip Kowski writes, "Who could have predicted that the guy who has bankrupted the following businesses by slopping his name on things would bankrupt the Kennedy Center?" Here's just a list of some of Trump businesses that failed. Trump stakes, Trump vodka, Trump board games, Trump University, Trump mattresses, Trump ice, Trump shuttle, Trump vitamins and urine test kits. Tor Day Trump, New

1:01 Jersey Generals, Trump Modeling, Trump Princesses, Trump Mortgages, Trump Success Cologne, Trump Magazine, Trump Style, Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Trump Castle, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts, Trump Entertainment, Trump Marina, Trump Casino Indiana, Trump Travel Agency, Trump Net Telecom, Trump Tower Tampa, Trump Empire Cologne, Paris is out musical, and with the Epstein files being released or a small portion, Trump modeling agency. Now, Donald Trump posted the following message. And I just want to note this before reading you the message. As I said before, uh, the Kennedy Center was profitable. It was a successful business before Donald Trump slopped his name on it and destroyed it.

1:48 Here's what Donald Trump's post said moments ago. After a one-year review of the Trump Kennedy Center, it's not what it's called. It's called the Kennedy Center. By the way, it was a memorial to former President Kennedy that you desecrated a memorial, as much of a sacred thing as can exist in the federal government. After a one-year review of the Trump Kennedy Center that has taken place with contractors, musical experts, on and on and on, Donald Trump goes on to say um that um partial construction while continuing enter entertainment operations through a much longer period of time working in and around the performances. I've determined that the Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for construction, revitalization, and complete rebuilding, can be without question the finest performing arts of its kind anywhere in the world. In other words, if we don't close, the quality of construction will not be nearly as good,

2:41 and the time to completion because of interruptions with audiences from the many events using the facility will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result. Based on these findings and totally subject to board approval, I have determined that the fastest way to bring the Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of success, beauty, and grand is to cease entertainment operations for an approximately 2-year period of time with a scheduled grand reopening that will rival and surpass anything that has taken place with respect to such a facility before. What are you even talking about there? And it should also be asked, who is paying for this? More of your right-wing oligarch buds that you shake down. And when you say you're going to open it like something's never been opened before, just take a look at some of the facts surrounding the opening of the Kennedy

3:37 Center. It opened September 8th, 1971. And from that time till now, the only stoppage was a short period of time, March 2020 to September 2020 for the COVID pandemic. Then Donald Trump renamed the Kennedy Center unlawfully to Trump Kennedy Center December 18, 2025. And now Trump announces the Trump Kennedy Center, unlawfully named as such, will cease operations for 2 years, he says, and it will probably be longer. As I mentioned over the past week, take a look at what went down. Kennedy Center announced a new head of programming who quit after just 5 days. Meet Kevin Couch, the Kennedy Center appointee as senior vice president of artistic programming who quit 5 days thereafter.

4:29 Just over the past week to 10 days, you had Renee Fleming cancelling the Kennedy Center appearances. The Grammyinning soprano was to have appeared with conductor James Gaffagan and the National Symphony Orchestra and Renee Fleming says that she's withdrawing the two scheduled May appearances at the Kennedy Center. Philip Glass in the past week to 10 days cancelled the Kennedy Center premiere of the Lincoln Symphony amid massive upheaval and Philip Glass said the following. Symphony number 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the symphony. Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership. You will also recall that the National Opera announced that it would be cancelling its appearances and moving out of the Kennedy Center earlier in January, which

5:27 had been in the Kennedy Center consistently since the Kennedy Center opened in 1971. I want to remind you back on December 19th, 2025, when Trump desecrated the Kennedy Center and put his name on it, how DC residents, I think channeling what the rest of the country was feeling, were saying. Take a listen to what this DC resident had to say. Play this clip.

5:50 Feeling like democracy died today. This is history happening today. And we should all be shocked. Shocked that a a felon, a convicted felon, and a thug and by all means a grifter has just stuck his name on top of a national monument. This is a desecration. Next, I want to share with you my friend, independent journalist Jim Maccasta. Here's what he had to say on December 19th, 2025 when Trump desecrated the Kennedy Center and changed the lettering on it to say Trump Kennedy Center. Play this clip. Well, here we are at the scene of yet another crime committed by Donald Trump. Uh he has vandalized the Kennedy Center by putting his name on it. and he just needs to understand that first of all, he can't do this single-handedly. Only Congress can authorize a change of name to the Kennedy Center. But yet, he doesn't care about the law. He doesn't care what is appropriate. Um, he's gone and vandalized the Kennedy Center, which

6:54 is, we should note, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. It was named after President Kennedy after he was assassinated. Donald Trump should show some respect for that. But of course, he doesn't do that. And you know, this is what needs to be said. We, the American people, are not going to call the Kennedy Center the Trump Kennedy Center, just like we're not going to call the Department of Defense, the Department of War, or the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America. We, the sane, rational American people, are not going to go along with that. So Trump can act like a child. He can be a vandal, put his name up on all of these buildings, but it's not going to change what the rest of us do uh in response to what has been a childish and lawless administration.

7:40 As Barbara Commtock says, so Trump puts his name on it and kills the Kennedy Center. So instead of allowing the center to return to its arts mission, he'd rather close it than admit his vanity project was rejected by the American people. More Trump failure and Richard Grenell is a disgrace, too. If it's closed, hope no money for him and his team. Remember back last February, Rick Grenell or Richard Grenell was put as the new chairman of the Kennedy Center board. Then Donald Trump fired the rest of the board that led to other mass resignations and the beginning of cancellations at the Kennedy Center. And ever since then, Rick Rennell has been threatening to sue all of the acts that are cancelling. And now Donald Trump has fully capitulated and shut down the Kennedy Center. Our friend Aaron Parnes, who's got a great YouTube channel now through the Midas Touch Network, says the following. The Trump family aired

8:37 the world premiere of Melania and closed the Kennedy just 3 days later. The 6% on Rotten Tomatoes does not do it justice. Mike Rothschild says the following. Trump ruined the Kennedy Center so quickly and completely that he's going to close and renovate it for most of his second term. Right now, let's take a look right here at who has canled their Kennedy Center performances since Trump took over. Obviously, Hamilton canled pretty soon after Trump took over. Cam Hamilton released the following statement uh last March, March 5th, 2025. Political disagreement and debate are vital expressions of democracy.

9:20 These basic concepts of freedom are at the very heart of Hamilton. However, some institutions are sacred and should be protected from politics. The Kennedy Center is one such institution. The Kennedy Center was founded over 50 years ago with a sincere bipartisan spirit. Indeed, it was founded during the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower, named after President John F. Kennedy and opened in 1971 under the administration of Richard Nixon. The Kennedy Center was meant to be for all Americans, a place where we could all come together in celebration of the arts. Politics have never affected the presentation of thousands of shows and the display of extraordinary visual arts. However, in recent weeks, we have sadly seen decades of Kennedy Center neutrality be destroyed. The recent purge by the Trump administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by

10:11 the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national cultural center represents. This spirit of nonpartisanship ended on February 7th, 2025 with the firing of Kennedy Center President Deborah Ruer, the chairman of the board, David Rubenstein, and numerous other Kennedy Center board members, as well as the cancellation of important programming. These actions bring a new spirit of partisanship to the national treasure that is the Kennedy Center. Given these recent actions, our show simply cannot in good conscience participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center. Therefore, it says we are cancelling. Shondaanda Rimes and Isa cut ties with the Kennedy Center from their soldout shows. Philip Glass, as I mentioned, Renee Fleming, Vocal Arts DC, um Brentano Quartet and the Sin Yun Wong uh Quartet announced their cancellation of a concert. You had the

11:06 Seattle Children's Theater, the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Washington National Opera, Sonia Deos Santos, Steven Schwarz, The Cookers, Chuck Red, Doug Veron, and Dancers, Magpie, Christy Lee, Low Cut, Connie, Riion and Giddens, Balloon, Hamilton, which I just mentioned, all cancelled. Um, and it should also be noted, oh, also the US Marine Band, uh, canled. The US Marine Band announced in February 2025 that the Marine Band would not perform in the Equity Ark Wind Symphony event, a collaboration between Marine Band members and selected high school musicians. The US Marine Band, known also as the president's own, was founded by an active Congress in 1798, making it the country's oldest professional musical organization. Composer Kevin Chensry, whose music had been scheduled to be performed by the band at the event, stated in a Facebook post that diversity, equity, and inclusion orders

12:07 resulted in the cancellation of the Equity Our concert. It has come to my attention that the program, one based on equity and diversity of voices, is no longer supported at the federal level under this administration. Charery wrote, "It was for this reason that the program and performance were cancelled." And then my friend Ben Folds resigned from the National Symphony Orchestra back last February. Ben Folds was the artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra. And he said right back then last February, given developments at the Kennedy Center effective today, I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO. I interviewed Ben Folds three weeks ago when there were other acts of resigning at the Kennedy Center. And here's what Ben Folds told me. Play this clip. It's really sad. Um it it you know the uh the Kennedy Center uh had so many great missions and and and it is a memorial as well. It's it's uh it's as close to

13:12 sacred stuff as you can get for our federal government. But, you know, aside from that, it it really is playing out roughly the way that uh that it felt it would for me a year ago. Uh, and I'm not saying that I understood how events would unfold exactly, but it was clearly the first step uh of uh it was it was an authoritarian move. It was an authoritarian first first step. And like obviously they weren't going to start by trying to steamroller late night comedians. They thought they would run over us first. And that's that's much easier because it's close to home and they know what they're you know and know how to do it. Um, but now the things that are happening are no surprise because that's, you know, it wasn't just him. I I think people misunderstand it's not just him going in wanting to book bands or something, you know, it's it's commandeering, uh, you know, the the the governments, the the the arts. Uh, and

14:06 then from there, that's expression. That's fre that's freedom of expression. And from there, you move on to the networks and to Stephen Cobear and Jimmy Kimmel and 60 Minutes. and you just keep steamrollering. So, I was sick on my stomach when I quit because one, I knew they were going to run in the in the ground. Nobody that they were appointing had any experience in arts uh administration, but that was never the point. Point was to take that, run over it, and move on. So, it's rotting over uh you know uh next to the PTOIC in the moment. And it's like it's just sad, you know.

14:40 And here's what Ben Folds also said to me. Play this other clip. I think you know artists it's the same as I felt uh a year ago. I think that the responsibility uh and the right of uh of artists is to express honestly and and it's a little bit sometimes like reportage you know it's a little bit like like journalism and um and I think that that is what uh artists need to do right now while we still can't. Obviously, you don't have to do it at the Kennedy Center. It was an amazing place with an amazing mission and all kinds of um you know, access to facilities and it was beautiful and by the way, it used to make uh you know, used to make some money and uh now it's like not run well. But the artist right now, we should all be expressing ourselves with no. There was a time uh I think and I came up in this era of the '9s, this sort of shut up and sing era where you're worried you're going to

15:43 alienate your artist. I think right now is the time to absolutely stand up and and express yourself. If that's political, do it. If it's social, do it. If it's what you love for lunch, hey, that's fine, too. But be honest in your reporting because you may not have that luxury if we keep going like we're going. Better to do it now. Better to show up at the protest now than have to show up in the protest in a year and worried about getting, you know, jailed and killed. It's now is the time to to and the artist's job has always been to be a little ahead of the curve where things are going. the the artist can explain that in terms that no one else is allowed to. It doesn't have to make sense. It has to feel right. And and that's what moves people. And the reason the arts are important and all these people said they weren't important that we're that we're on the right side of the government that said the arts don't

16:40 matter, we don't need to fund it. Boy, they sure thought it was important when it came to the Kennedy Center. They took that over in like one month. So, uh, so the arts are important and the artist is really needed right now.

16:53 There you have it, folks. Trump shutting down the Kennedy Center. He's bankrupted the Kennedy Center in a very short period of time. He's put it out of business. Typical Trump, everything he touches, he destroys. a profitable, vibrant treasure uh in our country has been run into the ground by Donald Trump as he's running our country into the ground as well. And he's all over the Epstein files. 5,000 references to Donald Trump in the most grotesque and disgusting ways. I'll just leave that there for you at the end. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Thanks for watching. Love this video. Support independent media and unlock exclusive content. Add free videos and custom emojis by becoming a paid member of our YouTube channel today. You can also gift memberships to others. Let's keep growing together.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Trump SHUTS DOWN Kennedy Center after MASS RESIGNATIONS!!!"?

Ben Folds (Guest), Jim Maccasta (Guest).

What is "Trump SHUTS DOWN Kennedy Center after MASS RESIGNATIONS!!!" about?

Donald Trump has announced the shutdown of the Kennedy Center for at least two years following extensive staff resignations and performer cancellations, attributing the decline in its success to his controversial association with the venue. Critics highlight this decision as part of a pattern in which Trump has negatively impacted various business ventures bearing his name.

What is mentioned in this MeidasTouch episode?

15 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Kennedy Center, Donald Trump, Ben Folds, Renee Fleming, National Symphony Orchestra, Philip Glass. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Trump SHUTS DOWN Kennedy Center after MASS RESIGNATIONS!!!"?

The episode runs 18 min; the transcript is about 2,928 words in 21 timestamped sections.

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