During his first administration, President Trump did not do much to influence cultural life in Washington or beyond. He snubbed the Kennedy Center Honors and waited until the end of his term to unveil projects like a National Garden of American Heroes, which was overturned by the Biden administration
But early in his second term, he has appointed himself chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, revived the statue garden project and pushed for greater oversight of the Smithsonian, among other things. Those chosen by the White House to oversee these efforts are Trump allies, but some do not have extensive backgrounds in the arts.
“President Trump is restoring Americanism and has entrusted the most talented patriots to successfully usher in the Golden Age of American Arts and Culture,” Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, said in a statement.
Here are some of the key players now involved:
The Smithsonian
Lindsey Halligan
Administration’s Concern: In March, the White House released an executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” that depicted the Smithsonian as portraying American and Western values in a negative light.
Mr. Trump’s Plan: The president has requested a widespread review of the institution’s current and future exhibits and programming. The review, White House officials said, would aim at “replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate and constructive descriptions.” The Smithsonian, which has long operated as an independent institution outside the purview of the executive branch, gets 62 percent of its more than $1 billion annual budget from congressional appropriation, federal grants and government contracts. It has yet to comment on the plan.
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The post Who’s in Charge of Trump’s Cultural Realignment? Here Are Key Players. appeared first on New York Times.
