Tackytown, just remember those two words, tackytown. Unless Congress or the courts stop him, Donald Trump will turn Washington, a beautiful city, a beautiful city, into Kissimmee, Florida, that tacky billboard place right outside of Disney World.
He earlier tore down the east front of the White House, planning to build a garish ballroom. There is a serious legal challenge. He now wants a 250 foot arch between Arlington Cemetery and the Memorial Bridge, which would dwarf the Lincoln Monument. That would desecrate historically sacred landmarks. And he wants to shut down for two years, the Kennedy Center, which for 55 years changed Washington into a cultural center with great performances, opera, symphony, plays, even movies.
Trump says it’s dilapidated and he has to fix it up. That is a lie. I’ve been to the Kennedy Center several times recently. Like all billies, it periodically needs refurbishing, but it remains a splendid, majestic venue on the Potomac. What really happened was when Trump and the handpicked board of artistic hacks illicitly renamed the iconic center after Trump, the head of Kennedy, that produced a wave of cancellations.
The best artists no longer want to perform at a venue soiled by that narcissistic Philistine. You know, I’m doubtful that this can be headed off, but once this despot leaves town, hopefully the Kennedy Center can be reestablished. But it’s not going to be easy and the loss will be for more than just two years and it’s profound.
Brilliant framing with the Kissimmee compariosn tbh. The Kennedy Center piece cuts deep bc it's not just about shutting down venues but kinda erasing the cultural infrastructure that took decades to build. Once those artists stop coming, rebuilding trust and relevance takes way longer than two years.
He shut the Kennedy Center for one reason and one reason only--if left operational, the KC will produce nothing but bad press, embarrassing press, oppositional press for Trump. Instead, closing up makes Trump think he's outsmarted everyone.