Kennedy Center edits Trump jokes from Mark Twain Prize
The US Kennedy Center has used its contractual power to remove jokes about President Donald Trump from a Netflix broadcast, highlighting the growing political control over state-backed cultural institutions.
Comedian Whitney Cummings has revealed that the Kennedy Center forced the removal of two jokes targeting Donald Trump from the upcoming Netflix broadcast of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The event, which honoured Bill Maher on June 28th, will air on the streaming platform on July 21st without the material. Netflix confirmed it did not make the edit, stating: "While it’s our preference not to cut jokes from anyone’s set, the Kennedy Center has the contractual right to do so."
During rehearsals, Cummings said she was stopped from performing a joke comparing Trump to John F. Kennedy. "I was practicing my jokes and people were like, ‘We’ll get fired if you say that,’" she recounted on her podcast. "That is the worst thing you can hear."
She did manage to deliver a different joke live on stage, quipping that "Trump couldn’t make it tonight. He got caught in sex traffic." However, she later discovered this joke was also removed from the Netflix broadcast despite already being reported by journalists in the audience. "I don’t know if I did the right thing or not," Cummings said, noting she was "presented with a tricky conundrum."
For European observers, the incident underscores the rapid politicisation of a premier American cultural institution. Since December, Trump has installed loyalists in leadership roles at the Kennedy Center, transforming a historically independent arts venue into an extension of the executive branch. The fact that staff explicitly fear dismissal for allowing criticism of the president points to a chilling effect on free expression within state-funded arts.
The clash also highlights the friction between global streaming companies and politically compromised local partners. Netflix was ultimately forced to accept the censorship of a comedian's set to maintain its contract with the federally backed centre. This dynamic raises questions for international media businesses about the legal and reputational risks of partnering with institutions where political loyalty now supersedes artistic freedom.
Cummings framed the fallout as a betrayal of the award's core purpose. "This is the Mark Twain prize. This is the only time you shouldn't get censored because it is about comedians using humor to criticize our elected officials," she said. She ultimately accepted the cuts, stating: "I just want to be clear that the people who work there did their jobs well and protected their boss." Adding sarcastically, "I can’t believe I had the audacity to ruin his pristine name."
