Trump’s War on the Arts: A Step-by-Step Takeover of Culture
How the Kennedy Center, NEA, and Hollywood are being reshaped to serve a political agenda.
When authoritarian leaders seize power, they don’t just go after government institutions; they go after culture.
From Mussolini’s control of Italian cinema to Nazi Germany’s censorship of "degenerate art,” history shows that controlling a nation’s arts means controlling its identity, its history, and its future.
Now, under Trump’s second term, we are seeing a step-by-step takeover of American cultural institutions—not through direct censorship, but by installing loyalists, gutting funding, and reshaping artistic priorities.
It’s happening right now, and it follows a clear sequence:
The Kennedy Center Takeover – Seizing elite cultural institutions.
NEA Funding Shift – Redirecting federal arts grants toward nationalist projects.
GSA Fine Arts Division Gutting – Dismantling public art preservation.
Hollywood Ambassadors – Attempting to reshape mass media.
Each step builds on the next, creating a controlled pipeline of arts and entertainment that serves Trump’s political interests.
1. The Kennedy Center Takeover: Controlling Prestige & Influence
The first target? The Kennedy Center.
For decades, the Kennedy Center Honors and its leadership remained a bipartisan cultural institution, celebrating diverse, world-class artists. However, in February 2025, Trump fired the entire board and installed himself as chairman, appointing former diplomat Richard Grenell as interim director.
Grenell has no arts administration experience, but he is loyal to Trump. That’s it. That’s his qualifications.
Why This Matters:
The Kennedy Center sets the tone for elite American arts. If it becomes a pro-Trump propaganda machine, it influences which artists are legitimized nationally.
Artists are already boycotting. Hamilton pulled its performances, and major artists are distancing themselves, but the institution remains in Trump’s hands.
It signals to other cultural institutions: Get in line or be replaced.
Major artists have responded to the Kennedy Center’s leadership overhaul by shuttering scheduled performances. Notable cancellations include Hamilton, Issa Rae, Rhiannon Giddens, and Low Cut Connie, all citing concerns about the institution’s shift under Trump’s leadership.
Meanwhile, the Kennedy Center has canceled several performances, notably those featuring LGBTQ+ artists. The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C., the International Pride Orchestra, and the children’s musical Finn were all dropped from the lineup, with the Center citing financial concerns. Critics argue these cancellations reflect the new leadership’s priorities.
2. NEA Funding Shift: Starving Progressive Art, Funding Nationalism
Trump’s past attempts to defund the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) failed, so now, instead of eliminating it, he’s using it to shape the kind of art that gets funded.
Key Changes Under Trump’s Second Term:
America250 Funding Priority: Grants are shifting toward patriotic, historical, and military-themed projects.
DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Programs Cut: Projects highlighting LGBTQ+, Black, and progressive voices are quietly deprioritized.
Challenge America Grant Eliminated: This program helped small arts organizations in underserved communities, but it was canceled despite increased NEA funding.
While the NEA’s budget has technically increased, funding is being redirected toward nationalist projects like America250, while DEI-related arts programs are quietly deprioritized. In recent months, several organizations have reported losing NEA funding, including Balay Kreative, a Filipino arts accelerator, which saw its federal funding drop by 80%, forcing it to suspend operations. Meanwhile, new federal grant restrictions explicitly bar funding for projects centered on diversity initiatives or gender identity, a shift that has sparked backlash from over 400 artists demanding a policy reversal.
The result? A chilling effect where artists and institutions self-censor to fit the new funding priorities. At the same time, arts organizations serving urban and underrepresented demographics are being cut out.
This isn’t just about money; it’s about reshaping the future of American art.
3. GSA Fine Arts Division Gutting: What Happens to Public Art Now?
The General Services Administration (GSA) Fine Arts Division oversees more than 26,000 federally owned artworks, including murals, sculptures, and paintings, displayed in public buildings nationwide.
In early 2025, Trump gutted the division, closing regional offices and putting over half the staff on leave, pending termination.
Why This Matters:
Public art is at risk of neglect, damage, or removal without conservators.
Some of these artworks may be sold off, privatized, lost, or replaced with Trump-friendly nationalist art.
Many of these are site-specific installations; they may be gone forever once removed.
The impact is already visible; artworks at federal sites like the James V. Forrestal Building in D.C. are at risk as redevelopment plans threaten their removal, while the historic Old Post Office’s artwork faces uncertainty amid ongoing changes to the building’s use. With fewer staff overseeing preservation, the fate of many pieces remains unknown.
This is erasure, not just budget cuts. By removing the people responsible for preserving America’s public art, Trump leaves the door open for ideological replacements.
See our reporting on a related effort to erase public memory, including the firing of the archivist:
4. Hollywood Ambassadors: The Final Frontier of Influence
In March 2025, Trump appointed Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, and Jon Voight as “Special Ambassadors to Hollywood,” claiming they would “rebuild” the industry.
Why Hollywood?
Trump is obsessed with ratings and public perception.
Hollywood is the most common media Americans consume.
The right has long claimed leftists secretly control Hollywood.
The danger: If Trump-aligned officials influence film subsidies and distribution, it could lead to:
More funding for nationalist, militaristic films.
Less funding for progressive, diverse stories.
A chilling effect where Hollywood self-censors to avoid political retaliation.
Historical Parallels: Hollywood Blacklists & Song of the South
In the McCarthy era, Hollywood was purged of leftists under the guise of "anti-communism."
Disney’s Song of the South (1946) helped rewrite the history of the Civil War South, creating nostalgia for a false version of history.
If Trump gets control of Hollywood narratives, he can alter how future generations remember history.
The Bigger Picture: A Step-by-Step Cultural Takeover
1️⃣ Control Prestige: Kennedy Center – Shift elite cultural recognition.
2️⃣ Redirect Funding: NEA – Influence what art gets made.
3️⃣ Remove Guardians: GSA – Leave public art vulnerable.
4️⃣ Influence Mass Media: Hollywood – Reshape storytelling.
This isn’t just a “culture war.” It’s an authoritarian blueprint.
History shows that when leaders reshape art, they reshape public consciousness. If Trump controls arts funding, institutions, and mass media, he doesn’t need to ban art. He can shape what stories are told and which ones disappear.
Conclusion: What Happens Next?
If this continues, expect:
More nationalist art & media.
A decline in funding for progressive and diverse storytelling.
More political pressure on artists and institutions.
Art is one of the last defenses against authoritarianism. If we lose control over who funds, protects, and distributes it, we risk losing more than paintings and performances—we risk losing the truth itself.
What You Can Do:
Support independent artists & institutions.
Push back on funding cuts & ideological reshaping of the arts.
Pay attention—because the fight over art is really a fight over America’s soul.
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Bibliography:
"Trump’s overhauled Kennedy Center loses upcoming run of Hamilton"– Politico, March 5, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/05/trump-kennedy-center-hamilton-canceled-00215237
"‘Not what we signed up for’: Inside Trump’s ‘shocking’ Kennedy Center takeover" – The Guardian, February 24, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/24/trump-kennedy-center-takeover
"Trump administration slashes division in charge of 26,000 U.S. artworks" – The Spokesman-Review, March 11, 2025. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/mar/11/trump-administration-slashes-division-in-charge-of/
"Trump’s federal job cuts may threaten thousands of artworks" – Hyperallergic, March 12, 2025. https://hyperallergic.com/995710/trump-federal-job-cuts-may-threaten-thousands-of-artworks/
"Trump Administration Slashes Office Overseeing 26,000 Artworks" – Artnet News, March 12, 2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/trump-executive-orders-arts-2605142
"Mel Gibson wants to ‘fix’ Hollywood as part of his role as Trump’s ‘special envoy’" – Business Insider, March 10, 2025. https://www.businessinsider.com/mel-gibson-wants-fix-problem-of-celebrities-leaving-hollywood-2025-1
"Donald Trump says people will have to refer to Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight, and Mel Gibson as ‘Mr. Ambassador’" – Entertainment Weekly, March 9, 2025 https://ew.com/donald-trump-says-people-will-have-to-refer-to-sylvester-stallone-jon-voight-mel-gibson-as-mr-ambassador-8777165
"Culture wars: Trump’s takeover of arts is straight from the dictator playbook" – The Guardian, February 22, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/22/trump-administration-arts
"Trump in front of a camera again as he vows Hollywood ‘golden age’" – The Times (UK), March 6, 2025. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trump-inauguration-portrait-mel-gibson-sylvester-stallone-dqn8xcpns
"Trump: Banning drag queens is first act to ‘make arts great again’" – The Times (UK), February 28, 2025. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/donald-trump-drag-queens-ban-kennedy-centre-ljltt37rw
I really thought Hollywood would be protesting by now! They have the numbers, they have the $. HOLLYWOOD- get together now! Pick leaders in each film division. Create a fund, and get busy fighting this censorship! Unless you all want to make only John Wayne movies, from now on.
If I can manage to keep myself from crying, I can only say that trump's narrow and myopic view of the arts, means an end of the arts in the United States. His take over of the Kennedy leaves me cold.