Barbra Streisand has issued a scathing rebuke of Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the Kennedy Center, describing the ongoing controversy as “painful to watch” and accusing the president of waging a bitter fight driven by personal vanity.
In a lengthy statement published on her personal website, the legendary singer and actress condemned the administration’s attempts to attach Trump’s name to the Washington cultural institution, framing the dispute as a broader assault on artistic integrity in American democracy.
A Defense of the Kennedy Legacy
Streisand opened her message by recalling the reasoning behind the center’s original naming, explaining that Congress had deliberately chosen to honor President John F. Kennedy, whom she described as “a true champion of the arts.” She noted that since its founding, the venue has hosted countless artists from around the world, establishing itself as “an essential performance hall.”
The singer also invoked her own connection to the institution, recalling her receipt of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008. “For me, and so many others, this honor represents something far greater than an award,” she wrote. “It represents a profound belief in art and its importance within a democracy.”
“Exasperating and Painful”
Streisand characterized recent developments as “exasperating and painful to see,” outlining what she described as Trump’s attempts to reclaim the building and his subsequent reactions “like a humiliated person.”
She cited the installation of a massive tarp and scaffolding to obscure the Kennedy Center’s name, along with the president’s most recent threat to “tear it down.”
“You can understand my indignation watching this highly respected institution become the subject of such a bitter struggle because of one man’s name and excessive ego,” she wrote.
The latest flashpoint came when Trump was photographed aboard Air Force One reviewing a large placard that appeared to reference a demolition of the Kennedy Center, with the words “Kennedy Center demolished…” clearly visible.
A History of Conflict
Since returning to the White House, Trump has installed several allies on the center’s board of trustees with the stated goal of putting it “back on the right track” and creating programming that is “not woke.” The moves prompted staff walkouts and a wave of artists withdrawing from scheduled performances.
Trump’s name was subsequently appended alongside JFK’s on the building’s facade, a move that a federal judge struck down, ordering the removal of any reference “to President Trump or any individual other than President Kennedy” from the building, its website, and its trademarks.
During the summer, Trump and the board devised another plan to visibly honor the current president on the building, citing his “commitment to renovating the cultural institution,” which he claimed only he was financially capable of restoring.
After another judicial setback, the board voted on September 15 to close the center immediately. “I’m capable of fixing” the Kennedy Center’s problems, Trump told reporters the following day, adding that “the Trump administration should be recognized for it. If it’s not done, it’s going to close. It’s going to end up being torn down.”
A Call to Action
Streisand seized on the irony of the situation, writing: “Strangely, when his name was still on it, there was no debate about the need to close and rebuild it.”
She concluded by urging Americans to take action at the ballot box, describing the episode as “one more example of the absolute necessity for all Americans to vote in the midterms.”
