Kennedy Center

PLAY OR PAY? Trump’s Kennedy Center Boss Threatens to Sue Musician Who Canceled His Performance

Posted by on December 27, 2025 at 12:29 pm. 0 Comments :

The authoritarian aspirations of Donald Trump are a hideous hallmark of his second occupation of the White House as he endeavors to emulate his tyrannical heroes such as Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Xi Jinping. Trump makes no secret of his admiration for dictators who rule with an iron fist, forcing their subjects to capitulate to the will of Dear Leader on all matters.

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Donald Trump

Trump’s totalitarian tendencies are evident in his unconstitutional executive decrees, his defiance of judicial judgments, his military invasions of U.S. cities, his illegal imposition of tariffs, his persecution of political foes, his attacks on small boats in international waters, his deportations of migrants without due process, and his suppression of the free press. And if you need any more examples, in recent weeks Trump has been naming governmental entities for himself and taking control of them in the most nauseating manner imaginable. For example…

SEE THIS: Did Trump Just Post a Death Threat to Stephen Colbert After Watching His Kennedy Center Flop?

Trump’s seizure of the Kennedy Center is emblematic of his lawless behavior. He has no legal authority to rename the memorial that Congress bestowed on President John F. Kennedy. It was a purely political and egomaniacal move by Trump to exalt himself. And it has already had disastrous consequences as attendance and revenue have collapsed.

It isn’t only audiences who are staying away. Some of America’s most revered artists are refusing to perform at the newly politicized Center. The latest cancelation is jazz musician Chuck Redd, who has been hosting an annual “Christmas Eve Jazz Jam” there for nearly twenty years. However, his principled stance against Trump’s takeover has triggered a predictable act of retribution from the Trump regime. According to the New York Post…

“The jazz musician who abruptly backed out of hosting a Christmas Eve concert at the Trump-Kennedy Center will face a $1 million lawsuit for the ‘political stunt,’ the head of the performing arts venue [Richard Grenell] revealed Friday.

Grenell, Trump’s appointed toady, is likely following orders from Trump, who appointed himself chairman of the Center, and is notoriously fond of filing lawsuits. Grenell announced the lawsuit threat on Twitter/X saying that “The left is boycotting the Arts because Trump is supporting the Arts. But we will not let them cancel shows without consequences.” Of course, the left is certainly not boycotting the arts, and Trump has never supported them.

The Post’s article also quoted Grenell saying that Redd’s “decision to withdraw is…very costly to a non-profit Arts institution.” Which is peculiar, because in the same article Grenell contradicted himself…

“Grenell claimed that attendance for the Jazz Jam…had been ‘lagging considerably behind our other Christmas and holiday offerings.’ [and that] ‘The most avant-garde and well-regarded performers in your genre will still perform regularly, and unlike you, they’ll do it to sold out crowds regardless of their political leanings,’ Grenell continued.”

Grenell is actually hurting his own legal arguments. He’s saying that Redd’s cancelation has been “very costly,” but also that it has “lagged considerably.” And yet, this allegedly lagging event is worth a million dollars in compensation via his meritless, nuisance lawsuit. It all makes perfect sense if you have the remedial math skills, and flagrant dishonesty, of Trump and his MAGA cronies.

To top it off, the PR flack for the Center added that “The Trump Kennedy Center is a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds — great art transcends politics.” Never mind that Trump himself admitted his brazenly partisan interference in the schedule saying that “We don’t need woke at the Kennedy Center, and we don’t need — some of the shows were terrible. They were a disgrace that they were even put on.” He later added that the potential honorees “all went through me. I turned down plenty who were too woke.” He’s really transcending politics, isn’t he?

Meanwhile, Trump is still doing what he does best: fouling up everything with his grotesque and gaudy aesthetic taste, or more accurately, lack thereof…

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Did Trump Just Post a Death Threat to Stephen Colbert After Watching His Kennedy Center Flop?

Posted by on December 24, 2025 at 1:14 pm. 0 Comments :

The seething hatred that Donald Trump embodies for his many perceived enemies is well documented. He frequently disgorges it in rabid rants on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. And it is aimed at anyone who is even mildly critical, or less than drooling with adoration.

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Stephen Colbert & Trump Baby

Naturally, much of his acrid anger is directed at journalists who dare to report the unvarnished truth about his policy failures and his personal foibles. Of course he also regularly unleashes venomous acrimony aimed at both Democratic and Republican politicians who have the audacity to disagree with him on matters great and small. His flaming fury has none of the limits of decency practiced by his predecessors. When Trump gets mad at you, he wants you terminated permanently.

SEE THIS: Trump Accuses Democratic Members of Congress With ‘Seditious Behavior, Punishable by Death’

Late Tuesday night Trump had just finished watching the CBS broadcast of himself hosting the Kennedy Center Honors award show. You might think that he was enjoying his evening at home and preparing for bedtime. You would be wrong. Trump was wide awake and in a foul mood. As he was hate-watching one of his archenemies, Stephen Colbert, he fired off a series of comments on Truth Social that put his acute animosity on vivid display. He whined that…

“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success. Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings. Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!”

That comment was posted just minutes after Colbert’s monologue that included jokes about Trump hosting the Kennedy Center awards. But Trump may not have realized that it was a Colbert rerun from December 8.

Nevertheless, in his delusional and dishonest state, Trump fails to accept that Colbert is a beloved comedian who hosts the top rated program on late night TV. Trump also fails to note that Colbert was canceled by CBS as a favor to Trump, and likely demanded by Trump.

However, the the most disturbing part of Trump’s comment is where he calls Colbert a “dead man walking” and says that “the humanitarian thing to do” would be to “put him to sleep.” No doubt some of Trump’s deranged cult disciples would be happy to oblige him.

If Colbert ever said anything like that about Trump, the FBI would be banging down his door and interrogating him for having made a death threat against the president. But apparently it’s okay for Trump to make death threats against anyone he wants to, including politicians, journalists, and now entertainers. And he had the gall to appoint himself chairman of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts? Even so, Trump wasn’t finished ranting. He continued…

“Who has the worst Late Night host, CBS, ABC, or NBC??? They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!”

And also…

“If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!”

Trump’s question is actually pretty good. But, as usual, is answer is wrong. If there is so much negativity directed at Trump, maybe it’s because Trump is a monstrous abomination who has earned that opposition. As to whether the networks should have their licenses terminated, they would first need to have licenses. They don’t. The federal government does not license television networks. So Trump is in favor of terminating licenses that don’t exist.

Trump may have had a few other reasons to be upset by this evening’s affairs. First, CBS refused to identify either the Center or the awards as the “Trump Kennedy Center,” as Trump had illegal proclaimed it to be. According to the Washington Post…

“In lead-up advertising, logos and voice-over throughout the broadcast, CBS referred to the show as the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, at the Kennedy Center. […] CBS News’s standards department last week instructed staffers to maintain the original Kennedy Center name [because] it would take Congressional approval to officially change the name.”

Secondly, the network left most of Trump’s hosting duties on the cutting room floor…

“The televised broadcast presented a pared-down version of Trump’s opening remarks, cutting his introduction from about 12 minutes live to two minutes for viewers at home — and leaving out several of his looser jokes, including a reference to the laughing audience as ‘miserable, horrible people.'” […]

“Throughout the ceremony, Trump made limited appearances onstage, instead introducing remaining honorees in video segments prerecorded from the Oval Office.”

And last but not least, the ratings for the Trump-hosted awards show were horrible. Programming Insider Insider reports that…

“According to preliminary Nielsen data, ‘The Kennedy Center Honors’ on CBS drew its smallest audience ever on the night of December 23, 2025, averaging an estimated 2.65 million viewers. To put that in perspective: the 2024 broadcast averaged 4.1 million.”

That’s gotta sting. A few weeks ago, when Trump announced who the honorees would be, he made a prediction about the broadcast saying that “It’s going to be something that I believe, and I’m going to make a prediction: This will be the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done.” Oops.

Also, in Colbert’s monologue, there is a clip of Trump slamming prior hosts, saying that “I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible. If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.” Okay! Although Kimmel never hosted the Kennedy Center awards. But Colbert did, three times. And no, Trump couldn’t beat either of them. And no, he shouldn’t be president, for so many other reasons.

Trump’s humongous ego is notoriously fragile. Plus, he has been remotely diagnosed as a malignant narcissist. So numbers like these will bring out the worst in him. The problem is that these sort of tantrums suffered by someone with presidential powers is extremely dangerous. And for the welfare of the nation – and the world – he should be removed from office ASAP.

Trump is having a bad night, so he's up rage-posting about TV comedians.He wants Stephen Colbert to be "put to sleep." And he thinks that networks have broadcast licenses (they don't) that should be "terminated."Poor baby isn't getting enough sleep at his Cabinet meetings.

— News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-12-24T10:18:01.635Z

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Stephen Colbert Honored with Robert F. Kennedy ‘Ripple of Hope’ Award for Social Justice Efforts

Posted by on September 25, 2025 at 2:24 pm. 0 Comments :

The eternal vigilance required to maintain America’s promise as a haven for free speech and a free press has been staggered by recent assaults delivered by Donald Trump and his censorious MAGA movement. The Constitution’s First Amendment protections are being actively challenged by the Trump regime’s seething animosity toward any criticism or expression of an opinion that is less than unflinchingly adoring of him.

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Stephen Colbert & Trump Baby

Case in point, Trump has been attacking late-night talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel, who was recently taken off the air by ABC/Disney at the behest of Trump in order to grease the wheels for their pending corporate business deals. And Stephen Colbert has had his program canceled by CBS, which is also seeking government favors from the Trump regime. What’s more, Trump has banished several news organizations from covering him, and is trying to turn the White House press corps into an Association of Slobbering Trump-Fluffers.

SEE THIS: Trump Declares Himself King of the White House Press Corps, Will Now Decide Who Can Question Him

After the news of Colbert’s cancelation, which is effective at the end of the current season in May of 2026, Colbert won this year’s Emmy for Best Talk Series. That’s gotta gnaw at Trump who has never won an Emmy, or any other notable award. And now it was just announced that Colbert is being honored with the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy “Ripple of Hope” Award. According to their website…

“The Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award honors exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights. […] This year’s laureates—Martin Cabrera, Jr., Stephen Colbert, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Stefano Lucchini, and Darren Walker—will be honored at the annual Ripple of Hope Gala on December 9 in New York City.”

This is just another thing that will drive Trump crazy(er). Not only is Colbert being recognized for his generous contributions to social justice, the honor is the name of the father of the utterly unqualified nutcase that Trump put in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services.

While Trump shamelessly begs for such honors for himself, that he doesn’t deserve, Colbert gets them unsolicited simply because he’s a good human being. Something Trump has never bothered to try or cared about. The announcement of the award for Colbert in USA Today gave some more details…

“Fresh off an Emmy win earlier this month, late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert is now being awarded for his social justice efforts.

“The nonprofit Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights on Sept. 24 named the 61-year-old comedian as one of the organization’s 2025 Ripple of Hope Award laureates. In its announcement, the center lauded ‘The Late Show’ host as ‘one of the most influential satirists of his generation,’ employing his signature wit ‘to challenge injustice.’

“‘Humor can be a catalyst for change. Stephen Colbert stands as a shining example of how speaking truth to power, boldly, wisely, and with heart, can ignite change and send ripples of hope far beyond the stage,’ RFK Human Rights President Kerry Kennedy said in the announcement.”

There is a a bittersweet irony in Colbert receiving this honor. In recent weeks another Kennedy, RFK Jr, has been besmirching the family name as a fully indoctrinated member of the Cult of Trump. And Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., defiling its reputation and severely hampering its ability to function.

Trump suffers from an acute case of malignant narcissism. So it’s questionable if he even knows that he is despised by millions. But he surely knows that he has not received any recognition from reputable honors societies. Meanwhile, Colbert has three Peabody Awards, three Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, and the third highest honor within the Department of the Army, the Outstanding Civilian Service Award.

No matter how many fake awards that Trump creates, he will never match the legitimate honors that Colbert has received on his merit. And that’s likely one of the reasons Trump is so determined to bring Colbert down. It aint gonna work.

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Egomaniacal Trump Hires Himself to Host (and Disgrace) the Kennedy Center Honors

Posted by on August 13, 2025 at 11:22 am. 1 Comments :

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is an institution that was built to honor extraordinarily talented members of the entertainment industry. For half a century it has lived up to its reputation for excellence and pride in the creative pursuits that have defined American culture.

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Donald Trump

For all of that time the Kennedy Center has avoided politics and the taint of partisanship. Until now. In February, just two weeks after his inauguration, Donald Trump announced that he was terminating much of the Center’s board and appointing “an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!” Because as president he didn’t have anything else to do.

SEE THIS: Trump is Busy Doing the People’s Work: Pushing for Plastic Straws and Firing Journalists?

Now Trump is expanding his role at the Center by hiring himself to host the annual Kennedy Center Honors. It is a another job that any competent and rational president would never consider taking. But Trump’s massive yet fragile ego drives him to steal the spotlight at every opportunity. And since the ceremony is telecast on television, Trump could not contain himself.

In his announcement Trump pretended to have been recruited for the hosting duties against his will. Does anyone believe that? What he told the press was a jumble of ego stroking incoherence and fictional accounts of his having been persuaded to host. He said that…

“I’m delighted to be here as we officially announce the incredibly talented artists who will be celebrated later this year at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors. It’s gonna be a big evening.

“I’ve been asked to host. I said ‘I’m the president of the United States. Are you fools asking me to do that?’ ‘Sir, you will get much higher ratings.’ I said ‘I don’t care. I’m president of the United States. I won’t do it.’ They said ‘Please?’ And then Susie Wiles said to me ‘Sir, why can’t you host?’ And I said ‘Okay Susie. I’ll do it.’

“That’s the power she’s got. Do you believe what I have to do? And I didn’t want to do it. They’re gonna say ‘He insisted.’ I did not insist. But I think it will be quite successful actually.”

Trump announces he's hosting the Kennedy Center Honors

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-08-13T15:39:27.933Z

Yeah. that all happened just like he said. The guy who disbanded the Center’s board and made himself chairman had to be convinced to be the host. And that’s not all. He had an even bigger role in the selection process. The honorees this year are George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, Kiss and Sylvester Stallone. And while there can be plausible arguments for these individuals, they were not selected for merit. When Trump was asked what percentage of the selection process he was involved in. He replied…

“I would say that I was about 98% involved. They all went through me. They came over Rick [Grennel] and Sergio [Gor] and everybody. I turned dowm plenty. They were too ‘woke.’ I had a couple of ‘wokesters.’

Trump says that all of the choices for Kennedy honorees "came through me" and adds that he turned down "some wokesters"

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-08-13T16:16:51.144Z

For the record, in past years the selections were made by previous honorees and others in the entertainment field. But this year the decisions were up to the guy who hosted a reality TV game show and had a one-line cameo in “Home Alone 2.” So he chose a country singer, the star of his favorite Broadway musical, and a rock band whose lead singer is a longtime supporter. And by his own admission, Trump rejected people with whom he has political differences.

Remember, Trump has a hostile opinion of some of the most popular entertainers in the world, He famously declared that “I hate Taylor Swift.” He insulted Bruce Springsteen as “a dried up old prune.” He threatened to revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship. He called Charlamagne Tha God “a racist sleazebag.” And he has relentlessly attacked Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon as having “no talent.” Meanwhile his own popularity is at record lows.

It’s a sad for the Kennedy Center. But an even sadder day for America as the Malignant-Narcissist-in-Chief once again places himself at the head of the line for recognition, even diverting attention from the honorees. And that obsession with diversion is also applicable to Trump’s efforts to deflect from his unsavory relationships with child sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Unfortunately, we have not yet found an effective diversion from Trump.

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