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Kennedy Center Conspiracies

The MAGA vibe shift has come for public institutions, and museums are emerging as the next target. Will the mood truly impact the way identity art is valued in the culture? Or has the market already moved on?

David M. Rubenstein
The role, which billionaire Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein held for more than a decade, requires deep pockets and generosity. Trump may or may not have the former, but he definitely isn’t known for the latter. Photo: Shannon Finney/Getty Images
Marion Maneker
February 16, 2025

It’s been a tough couple of weeks in Washington. The various attacks on the way D.C. operates—thrilling to some, horrifying to others—have made President Trump’s decision to replace the board of the Kennedy Center with loyalists, and anoint himself as chair, seem more like comic relief than a consequential move. After all, the role, which billionaire Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein held for more than a decade, requires deep pockets and generosity. Trump may or may not have the former, but he definitely isn’t known for the latter.