Internal Documents Show Political Capture of Kennedy Center Under Trump

When political power reaches into the halls of culture, it tests whether art belongs to the ages or to the moment's rulers. Internal documents obtained by The New York Times reveal that the Trump administration exerted direct influence over the Kennedy Center — America's federally chartered cultural flagship — including deliberations to liquidate significant portions of its art collection. The case illuminates a recurring tension in democratic societies: how institutions that serve the public trust can remain insulated from the political currents that fund them.