The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. has removed Donald Trump’s name from its donor wall. A court order forced the move. The former president had been honoured in 2018 for his “contributions to the arts.” A joke, some say. A political ploy, others mutter.
Now, UK arts leaders have their say. Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England, called it “a necessary correction.” He added, “Institutions must reflect values, not donors.” The National Theatre’s Rufus Norris was blunter: “The man’s a clown. His name shouldn’t be on a theatre. It sullies the stage.”
But not all agree. Lord Moynihan, a Conservative peer and former arts minister, warned of “dangerous precedent.” He argued: “If we start removing names based on political whims, where does it end?” A Westminster insider tells me the Foreign Office is “watching closely.” There are fears this could strain UK-US cultural ties. “Trump is gone but not forgotten,” one diplomat sighed. “His base will see this as an attack on America.”
The court order itself is a tangle. A small arts group, Artists for Democracy, brought the case. They claimed Trump’s inclusion violated the centre’s non-partisan charter. The judge agreed. “The Kennedy Center is a national symbol. It must not be co-opted,” she wrote. Trump’s lawyers have already promised an appeal. But the name is off the wall. For now.
What does this mean for UK arts? Quietly, some are checking their own donor lists. Tate Modern removed the Sackler name last year. The National Gallery is reviewing its benefactors. “There’s a mood for cleansing,” a gallery trustee told me. “But no one wants to say it out loud.”
Back in Washington, the Kennedy Center is silent. Staff refused to comment. One usher whispered, “Better this way. Less drama.” The drama, however, is far from over. Trump’s allies are already fundraising off the decision. “They’re coming for your history,” read one email blast. The culture wars, it seems, have crossed the Atlantic.
For now, UK arts leaders are picking sides. Most back the court ruling. But a few are uneasy. “We must be careful,” a Royal Opera House board member cautioned. “Art should not be a political weapon.”
Eleanor Rigby, Political Bureau Chief
