A wave of nausea swept over me last night (which is becoming an almost daily occurrence upon reading the news!) when I read the headline stating that Trump has determined the Kennedy Center will be closed in July for a two-year renovation project. As you recall, Trump ousted the previous Board of Directors for the Kennedy Center, replaced them with Trump loyalists, and then made himself head of the organization. That led to a host of cancellations by various performers in protest of this egregious assault on a venerable and well-respected American institution which was built as a memorial to John F. Kennedy and which hosted a wide variety of artists and performers over the years. Tickets sales have plunged.
Now that Trump’s fragile and childish ego has been hurt by this slight that he brought upon himself, he has decided to ‘renovate’ the Kennedy Center. Does anyone have any doubts that when the building is fully renovated that it will likely be called the Trump Center for the Performing Arts? The pettiness of this man is astounding. Immediately, the famous quote from Joseph Welch came to mind.
At the height of the McCarthy hearings in 1954, the army had hired Boston lawyer Joseph Welch to make its case against McCarthy’s allegations. During one session McCarthy charged that one of Welch’s attorneys had ties to a Communist organization. Welch responded with the immortal lines that ultimately ended McCarthy’s career: “Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness.” When McCarthy tried to continue his attack, Welch angrily interrupted, “Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?”
Those same words could be said about Trump. We are only now seeing the true depths of his cruelty and recklessness and he certainly has absolutely no sense of decency. The man is so insecure that he simply cannot tolerate anyone else getting recognition. John Kennedy was a war hero whereas Trump was a coward whose father likely bought his way out of having to serve because of ‘bone spurs.’ The two names do not even belong on the same building. But now Trump is trying to purge history of Kennedy’s memorial.
Americans used to joke and smirk when they would see images coming out of North Korea with large pictures of the North Korean leader, Kim Jung Un plastered everywhere. Is that where we are headed? Trump has already demolished the East Wing of the White House for his glorious ballroom which will no doubt be called the Trump ballroom. He has redecorated the historic Oval Office with so much gold leaf it looks just as garish as his hotels. How long will it be before some of his sycophants decide that in addition to the monuments erected for Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln there should be one for Trump as well?
Or perhaps Yosemite and Yellowstone will be renamed the Trump Yosemite National Park and the Trump Yellowstone National Park. I can just see it now, the famous log-constructed Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone will be renamed the Trump Old Faithful Inn complete with a big neon sign and Trump’s picture plastered all over the interior. Will it be very far in the future before he signs an Executive Order mandating that his picture be posted on the wall of every classroom in America? Where will this end?
The Kennedy Center is just another casualty in the wake of Trump’s lifetime of destruction. And just another example to prove that Trump is just a weak, little, insecure man who unfortunately now sits as Commander in Chief of the world’s most powerful military and has access to the nuclear codes. That is scary as hell and it continues to beg the question, “How in the hell can people continue to support this egomaniac who is hellbent on purging America of everything that is not named after Trump?” Excuse me, I need to go take some Pepto-Bismol!
