Ben Folds On Trump’s Kennedy Center Takeover: “I Could Not Trust That Artists I Booked … Would Be Safe From Retribution”
Ben Folds, the former artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, has publicly criticised Donald Trump's takeover of the Washington arts institution, saying he resigned because he could no longer guarantee the safety of artists from political retribution. Speaking at a congressional forum, the musician said politicising the venue had turned it into a tool for propaganda, undermining its artistic mission and deterring performers from appearing there.
Folds made the comments on Tuesday at a Democratic-convened forum, "Monumental Waste: How Donald Trump Is Spending Millions Destroying American Landmarks," led by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Robert Garcia. He recalled being appointed the Kennedy Center's first artistic advisor under Trump's first administration, bringing in artists such as Jon Batiste and Sara Bareilles, before resigning after Trump installed his own board and made himself chair. He also disputed Trump's justification that the centre was in financial difficulty, insisting it had enjoyed sold-out shows and profitable years. Trump has since put his name on the building and proposed a two-year closure for renovations, though a judge ruled in May that the renaming was unlawful and temporarily blocked the closure following a lawsuit from Congresswoman Joyce Beatty.
In short
- Ben Folds resigned over fears of political retribution against Kennedy Center artists
- He testified at a Democratic congressional forum criticising Trump's takeover
- A judge has already blocked the renaming and paused a planned closure
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Critics argue that major arts institutions must remain genuinely independent to fulfil their role as spaces where artistic merit, not political alignment, determines programming and participation. When a sitting president controls such a prominent national venue, it creates a structural chilling effect on artists who reasonably worry about professional consequences for political expression, thereby undermining the institution's mission to showcase excellence and serve the entire public. The concern reflects legitimate institutional principles about keeping culture separate from government rather than partisan distrust.
The case against
Supporters maintain that public institutions ultimately serve the electorate through their elected representatives, and it is entirely proper for a president to exercise responsible stewardship over federal properties. Questions about modernisation, financial management, and operational efficiency are routine governance matters unrelated to political ideology, and interpreting them as "retribution" presumes bad faith rather than competent administration. Artists regularly perform at venues controlled by various political actors and governments; the premise that presidential involvement automatically renders a space unsafe for performers lacks clear evidence.
Explained simply
The Kennedy Center in Washington is a major performing arts venue and home to the National Symphony Orchestra. It hosts music, theatre and dance, and its artistic advisers help choose performers and shape its programme.
Ben Folds is a musician who served as the orchestra’s artistic adviser, booking artists for the centre. Donald Trump changed the centre’s board and made himself its chair; Folds resigned after those changes. The dispute matters because it raises questions about how political control may affect the centre’s artistic choices and its relationship with performers.
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