Trump's Kennedy Center overhaul broke cultural institution's business model

Musician Ben Folds testified before a bicameral congressional forum on Tuesday. He told lawmakers that President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center destroyed the institution’s independent business model and transformed it into a political tool.

Folds served as the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra from 2017 until stepping down in February 2025. He detailed how the federal arts institution previously operated as a neutral nonprofit before Trump removed existing board members, assumed the chairmanship, and installed political allies to overhaul programming.

Speaking for five-and-a-half minutes, Folds argued that eliminating the firewall between politics and the Center’s nonprofit mission created a hostile environment. “When you politicize art, you’ve got propaganda,” he told the panel.

For cultural institutions on both sides of the Atlantic, the collapse of this firewall presents a direct threat to operational stability and audience trust. Folds warned that the takeover “hobbled the Kennedy Center, broke its once proven successful business model, and disrespected its original core mission.” When governments blur the line between cultural programming and political messaging, they risk alienating private donors and corporate sponsors who demand institutional neutrality.

The shift has also created a hostile climate for performers navigating the new landscape. Folds pointed to an incident last September involving fingerstyle guitarist Yasmin Williams, who was heckled by an organized group of conservatives after questioning the Center's changes.

Performers now face a no-win situation that threatens the talent pipeline essential to a major venue's commercial success. “Yasmin had to endure heckling from extremists on the right while also getting grief from the left for even showing up to perform, treated [as] if she was a scab crossing a picket line,” Folds stated.

The hearing, led by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), was titled “Monumental Waste: How Donald Trump Is Spending Millions Destroying American Landmarks.” European arts administrators frequently navigate complex relationships with state funders, but the rapid dismantling of the Kennedy Center’s operational independence highlights the severe financial risks that arise when a major cultural enterprise loses its ability to operate free from partisan interference.