Trump sparked outrage when he made his first appointments to the glitzy Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. He has made his choices—a pair of best known, of course, as Fox News anchors — and the selection has prompted no end of speculation about the convergence of political thinking and the entertainment set. As critics and supporters respond to the decision, the question many are asking is: What does this mean for the future of the Kennedy Center?
How Strategic Was Trump’s Appointment Inclination?
Donald Trump speaking at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 18, with what seems to be new Kennedy Center board scoring. (Céline Marlo is a fox in the Federal Hen House, Jeanine Pirro is his stepmother.) (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) Donald Trump just filled seats on the Kennedy Center Board with big Fox News names — it is not mere Cole Porter, to paraphrase Porter’s work; Trump’s appointment to the Kennedy Center Board of notable Fox News names is to reach and for political tenor. The Kennedy Center is an iconic institution, a pillar of American arts and culture. With the addition of figures from a conservative media outlet onto the board, this sends a message from Trump loud and clear: this is how he sees the arts and that he has an impact on American culture.
Why Fox News Anchors?
For years, FoxNews has been a heavyweight in conservative media, dictating the narrative, creating a platform for right-wing positions. Placing members of this network within a culture board suggests a new approach for Kennedy Center — principally perceived as moving within nonpartisan norms — and toward the future, programming and leadership.
Trump’s longstanding relationship with Fox News anchors has been a core component of his political strategy. By picking people who have deep ties to his base, Trump could be trying to strengthen his power and solidify connections with an important part of the American electorate.
What Does This Mean for the Kennedy Center?
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a revered institution that has featured everything from ballet to jazz to theater. The center is guided by its Board of Trustees, which shapes decisions about funding, programming and overall policy. While the center’s advisory board may have a very different mission than a political office, the inclusion of media figures in an ostensibly neutral role is troubling: It raises the question of how political ideologies will shape the eventual research coming from the center.
The Kennedy Center’s board has previously included philanthropists, political leaders and cultural figures from various backgrounds. But if Fox News anchors are added to the mix, they will reshape the lineup, not only by increasing diversity of opinion, but also by adding many years of inside experience in media, politics and public influence.
Supporters Have Rallied Behind the Proposed Measures
There was praise for Trump, but also criticism for their appointment as Fox News anchors. Supporters of the change consider it a move to bring new life to the Kennedy Center, while critics say the decision risks politicizing a cultural institution that has historically been viewed as a bastion of artistic quality.
Backing for Trump’s Picks
Trump’s supporters point to the appointment of well-known media figures to the Kennedy Center’s board as a way to help ensure the institution appeals to a wide, more politically balanced audience. Fox News has a sizable audience, and Trump may be exploiting that audience to amplify the profile of the Kennedy Center and inspire a deeper connection to more Americans all over the country.
Many conservatives also view the move as expanding the range of voices in the arts. If the Kennedy Center has a reputation for high culture, it is also one for more liberal-minded artistic communities, and Trump’s potential appointments could bring in a wider range of perspectives, more in line, at least, with the nation’s political spectrum.
Concerns Over Politicization
In contrast, there are those who believe such appointments hold great potential for the Kennedy Center, some worry the same aspects which make the Kennedy Center unique — an identity devoid of political influence — is at risk of changing should these nominees garner confirmation. The worry is that the Kennedy Center, whose role is deeply entwined with the federal government, could become more ideologically in tune with the right, squeezing out art that might enflame the ire of conservatives.
Having people on the board who work at Fox News may increasingly find itself beholden to political considerations in its artistic programming, further bringing the center in line with the limits Fox might impose on the avant-garde or politically challenging.
A Divisive Issue
It’s more than a metaphor involving Trump’s appointments — it’s a broader discussion about the collision of politics, media and the arts. In an era of tribal politics, institutions that were once considered value-neutral are the sites of ideological wars. The Kennedy Center, with all of its federal funding and cultural clout, is no exception.
Everything we know about culture is dead.
The Kennedy Center has long represented one mark of artistic quality in the United States. It is one of the country’s most prominent cultural institutions, hosting world-class performances and productions. However, with the addition of politically-affiliated media personalities to the board, comes the question: can the Kennedy Center continue to serve to be a neutral ground for artistic expression, or will it have no choice but to take a cue from political messaging?
Will This Affect Programming?
The Kennedy Center has long hosted a wide array of programming, from classical music to contemporary art. But with the new appointments, some fear the center would move toward more conservative programming. This could include a focus on patriotic themes or American history, which may attract a more conservative audience.
On the other hand, the Kennedy Center might decide that its decades-long mission of presenting a diversity of voices and creatives is more important. The trick will be to preserve that balance, and the institution itself, while formally upholding its core mission: advancing and preserving artistic excellence.
The Arts Poised for Further Polarization
If the appointments result in an increasingly political environment at the Kennedy Center, that represents an added step in a trend toward polarization in American cultural institutions. Opponents of Trump’s appointments are concerned that the center could become hyperfocused on political messaging to the detriment of artistic exploration, and drive audiences away who don’t share the same politics.
But, on the other hand, these new additions to the Kennedy Center’s board may actually help the institution spread its wings to newer, larger audiences and represents the burgeoning artistic communities of today’s America.
The Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees is charged with guiding the direction of the institution. In particular, it will inform decisions on funding, the hiring of key personnel and the overall programming for the center. Members of the board have had their own careers in many different fields, from business to the arts, and can be expected to guide the use of that experience to make sure the center maintains its status as a world-class facility.
Adding Fox News anchors to its board has changed that landscape and perhaps the decision-making process at the Kennedy Center. These folks undoubtedly come from the media and political planets, and their past tours of duty may inform the center’s behavior as it relates to public outreach and cultural orbiting.
Final Thoughts: A Decision with Lasting Consequences
Whether it’s a response to the vitriol of the media or just a disdain for the way “news” and “culture” currently operates, Trump appointing Fox News anchors to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees is more than filling a seat—it’s Trump making a statement about where he believes American culture stands. Supporters say the appointments will add fresh perspectives and strengthen the Kennedy Center’s outreach to a wider demographic, while critics are concerned about the politicization of one of the nation’s most venerated cultural institutions.
The fate of the Kennedy Center is, it appears being decided elsewhere than in the world of the arts. Whether it will mean a more inclusive, politically diverse institution, or a more polarized one is yet to be determined. One thing is for sure: the Kennedy Center will remain a flash point in the ongoing dialogue about the role of art in a politically charged society.
FAQs
1. Why Did Trump Appoint Fox News Anchors to the Kennedy Center Board?
Is Trump’s board appointees in this case a way to diversify points of view on the Kennedy Center’s Board, while also catering to a more conservative audience on a political level and statement on where America can look culturally?
2. Are these appointments going to affect the Kennedy Center’s programming?
There is the opportunity for the Kennedy Center to book more conservative programming, but it’s also possible that the center will maintain its legacy of presenting a plurality of artistic voices. The impact on programming will be determined by what role the new board members play in decision making.
3. How have some people responded to Trump’s decision?
Reactions have been divided. Supporters view the appointments as an opportunity to reach a more diverse audience; critics fear the Kennedy Center may become politicized and compromised in its cultural neutrality.
4. What does it mean for the future of the Kennedy Center?
The Kennedy Center stands at a crossroads. The new appointments could signal a change in the center’s course, toward a more politically engaged environment or toward an ongoing focus on artistic quality and variety.
5. Is this symptomatic of a broader trend to politicize the arts?
Yes, the decision is part of a broader trend and a sign of the times, in which cultural institutions, which had long prided themselves on their neutrality, increasingly are being converted into platforms for political messages. The debate over the Kennedy Center’s future is separated by an ocean from the blazes engulfing political life, but the friction between politics and culture is illustrative of a larger trend in our society today.
