Since President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office, he’s taken on a great number of responsibilities. 

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has been a cultural and artistic hub for decades, hosting some of the most iconic theater, music and dance performances. Being located in Washington, D.C, the Kennedy Center has historically been governed by the White House. 

After the start of President Trump’s second term, Trump immediately sought to seize control of the Kennedy Center. Within a month of his inauguration, he moved to dismiss 18 Kennedy Center board members — all of whom were appointed by former President Joe Biden — and removed the Center’s president, Deborah Rutter. Shortly after, Trump filled the board with members of his own staff and selected Richard Grenell to be the Center’s new president. After installing the board members and president, Trump was then elected to be the chairman by said staff.

Since its opening, the Kennedy Center has been able to maintain a bipartisan Board of Trustees through a process in which the current president appoints only some board members. Through these methods, it ensures that the programming of the arts remains independent of partisan politics. The center has always prioritized artistic autonomy above government ideology, so the dismissal of the democratic staff directly opposes the center’s fundamental values. Moreover, this loss no longer guarantees the nonpartisan programming that has been in place since 1958. 

Following the purge in leadership at the Kennedy Center, Trump’s next step was to transform the programming by “removing wokeness.” His biggest critique of the performances was that they were too “woke,” and thus served as “anti-American propaganda” — these comments were in response to past drag shows that were hosted at the venue. Trump has been vocal on this issue in hopes that his takeover will result in a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”

These threats, coupled with the reconstruction of the center’s staff, have led to backlash from the public and the performers. The most notable oppositions have been from the cast of the Broadway Musical “Hamilton” and Rhiannon Giddens, all of whom refused to perform at the Kennedy Center due to the political interference of the Trump administration. Moreover, the venue has experienced great internal and financial disruptions from the public boycott. As a result, ticket sales and subscription revenue have dropped significantly. Allegedly, profits have decreased by 36% due to the boycott.

In response to public uproar, Grenell has doubled down and accused the former board of falsely reporting $26 million of revenue. The former Board of Trustees and Rutter have refuted the allegations by defending their accounting practices.

The Kennedy Center hasn’t been the only victim of the Trump takeover; the current administration has been attempting to dismantle the Smithsonian institutions in tandem. Inspired by scientist James Smithson, the organization was initially formed to increase the diffusion of knowledge. Exemplified in the fact that the Smithsonian Institution makes up the largest museum, education and research complex in the world. As a whole, the Smithsonian is a knowledge hub that exhibits America’s history, culture and development.

In March of this year, Trump signed an executive order demanding drastic changes to the Smithsonian, several museums, the national zoo and more. For the Smithsonian in particular, he ordered the removal of any “anti-American ideology” or “divisive narratives.” The mandate stated that any federal appropriation to the Smithsonian should prohibit spending on content that “degrade[s] shared American values, divide[s] Americans on race, or promote[s] ideologies inconsistent with federal policy.” 

Afterward, the executive order evolved into a letter from the White House informing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch that they would be conducting a full internal review of exhibitions and materials across its museums. This entailed scheduled documented reviews, on-site walkthroughs and detailed interviews. Following this process, the institutions were expected to start “content corrections” by replacing “ideologically driven language” with more “unifying, historically accurate, constructive descriptions.” Museums were expected to submit updated plans as soon as possible. Although the administration didn’t single out any particular artist, based on what they flagged, it’s clear that Trump wishes to remove artwork that highlights Black, Latino and Queer perspectives.

Since the demands from the administration, there have been notable reforms. First, Trump pressured Kim Sajet, longtime director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, to resign. When providing an explanation for this decision, Trump cited Sajet’s support for Diversity, Equity Inclusion and called her a “highly partisan person.” In addition, the Smithsonian removed any reference to Trump’s prior impeachments from one of the prominent displays at the National Museum of American History. However, the institution claims that these changes were made to comply with the internal reviews and they will return to their original display soon.

Fortunately, these injustices haven’t gone unnoticed by the public; visitors, historians, legal groups and artists have been vocal against these changes. The leading concerns have regarded the risks of whitewashing history and erasing the significance of racial inequality. In addition, the Congressional Black Caucus and several other organized groups have condemned the Trump administration for its attempts to limit and reinterpret racial history. In response, the Smithsonian leadership has made a statement that reaffirms their commitment to scholarship and integrity while simultaneously complying with the White House’s demands.

When hearing about Trump’s assault on the arts and history, one might initially feel unperturbed: there are more pressing matters at hand. While the censure of culture may not feel like a crisis, this could be an early sign that America is heading towards fascism. Attacks on independent institutions, suppression of opposition and dissenting artists, information control and politicization of cultural spaces are paradigms of a fascist regime. 

In the Soviet Union, Stalin utilized art in political spaces as propaganda and dissenting voices were financially punished; Trump attempted to remove artwork that doesn’t agree with him and his staff falsely accused previous curators of fraud. In fascist Italy, Benito Mussolini saw art as a tool to push his nationalist views; Trump chooses to promote art that agrees with his patriotic and conservative ideals and opposes all else. In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler banned “degenerate art” which encapsulated modernist, leftist and Jewish art; Trump is targeting art created by racial minorities or members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

It’s easy to become absorbed in the dissent of art or the political intrusion of scholarship, but it’s crucial to focus on the bigger picture: the erosion of democratic norms. Culture is essential for independent thought, diversity and democracy. Once art is being silenced or promoted for political means, it threatens the government we rely on and society as a whole. When art is being expunged, culture and history are being manipulated. When art is manipulated, collective memory is at stake, and when we lack history, fascist regimes are able to seize control of the past and subsequently the present.

Instead of lying dormant, I urge everyone to engage with the arts, preserve history and take action when cultural freedom is threatened.