Singer-songwriter Ben Folds yesterday spoke about the politicisation of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC under President Donald Trump, explaining how the introduction of a “partisan toxic environment” forced him to quit his role as artistic advisor to the US National Symphony Orchestra, which is based at the venue.
Although owned by the US federal government, the Kennedy Center has traditionally been overseen by a bipartisan board, with day-to-day management of the venue and artistic decisions being made independently from the White House.
But Trump changed all that at the start of his second presidency, sacking half the board, appointing himself as Chair and trying - albeit unsuccessfully - to get ‘Trump’ added to the name of the building.
As all that was happening, Folds resigned from his NSO advisor role, stating on social media at the time, “given developments at the Kennedy Center, effective today I am resigning as artistic advisor to the NSO”, adding that a Trump-led version of the venue was “not for me”.
The musician was asked about these events during a session in US Congress yesterday titled ‘Monumental Waste - How Donald Trump is spending millions destroying American landmarks’. The Kennedy Center was one of the institutions owned by the US federal government in the spotlight.
Folds told Congress members, “With the new partisan toxic environment under the current administration, I could not trust that artists I booked at the Kennedy Center would be safe from retribution if they said or sung something that might displease the president or his political lackeys who now controlled the Center”.
Not only that, but agreeing to play the Trump-run Kennedy Center - or even just being asked to play - causes political headaches for musicians and other performers, Folds also explained.
“These days”, he said, “if an artist agrees to perform at the Kennedy Center, they risk being seen as explicitly endorsing the Trump administration and all of its policies. Declining an invitation to perform at the Kennedy Center will have an equal and opposite political effect”.
He went on, “There may be certain artists who will thrive in this environment - comedians come to mind - but most want nothing to do with it, and will choose to create and perform their art elsewhere, and they are, and audiences are following”.
One of Trump’s justifications for taking over the Kennedy Center was that it was facing financial problems. But Folds disputed that narrative during yesterday’s session.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said, “We had straight, sold-out shows on our programmes, and as far as I knew, at least a few years came up in the black there. It is really, really impressive, and so no, I think the Kennedy Center was going through some golden years, in my opinion”.
Concluding, Folds told the Congress members, “We need a vibrant Kennedy Center, whose leadership once again understands how to run its business, who will keep politics checked at the doors, and who will ensure that only the most qualified arts administrators are in charge”.