Kennedy Center
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I’m surprised there isn’t a thread already about the Kennedy Center closing for 2 years. In DC, heads are exploding over it…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/politics/kennedy-center-trump-construction.html
https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-kennedy-center-shutdown-renovations-autocracy
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-kennedy-center-is-dead-to-the-worldand-dead-to-me/
But what people are ignoring? Yeah, the place needs a major renovation. Karla and I went to a show last night, and the place is just sad. It’s also a horrible concert hall. I know from C&A rentals to the place that the infrastructure is dilapidated and outdated, but replacing the infrastructure is very difficult due to the nature of the building and the restrictions built in. It certainly is not what I would expect for the premier performing arts center for the nation’s capitol.
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If it's just closing for renovation without the renaming, heads would not be exploding, you may even see a lot more support for the renovation. The totally unnecessary renaming evaporated most of the goodwill and attracted new animosity.
So ... did you and Karla took a selfie with the Center's new name in front of the building? It may look very different after the renovation, it may only look like this with the new name for only a few months, and the current look is therefore historic.
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For once I agree with Ax. The renaming was stupid, as is removing the Indian signage at some national parks and monuments. Just dumb and unnecessary. I can easily believe that a building from 1971 is in need of major renovation. I just hope it doesn't end up all gold.
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Not entirely accurate. Yes, the renaming is ridiculous and obviously trolling. But it was a direct response due to the response to the new Kennedy Center’s board’s removal of shows that were overtly political. That’s when heads started exploding, and then you started having acts renege and cancel their shows. Then it became a pissing match.
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What do you think America does after he’s gone but has already built a $1 billion ballroom?
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What do you think America does after he’s gone but has already built a $1 billion ballroom?
What do you think America does after he’s gone but has already built a $1 billion ballroom?
First thing is they cancel the contracts for the Port-A-Potties and Rent-a-Tent they needed for large diplomatic affairs.
Second, they thank Congress for not spending the additional $600 million for "security updates" and keeping it totally donor-funded.
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What do you think America does after he’s gone but has already built a $1 billion ballroom?
First thing is they cancel the contracts for the Port-A-Potties and Rent-a-Tent they needed for large diplomatic affairs.
Second, they thank Congress for not spending the additional $600 million for "security updates" and keeping it totally donor-funded.
What do you think America does after he’s gone but has already built a $1 billion ballroom?
First thing is they cancel the contracts for the Port-A-Potties and Rent-a-Tent they needed for large diplomatic affairs.
Second, they thank Congress for not spending the additional $600 million for "security updates" and keeping it totally donor-funded.
What’s done is done and the thought never crossed my mind to raze it to the ground, but to simply renovate it to something more useful
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Make it less tacky at a minimum.
The arc de Trump on the other hand, should he succeed in building it, should just be razed.
Make it less tacky at a minimum.
The arc de Trump on the other hand, should he succeed in building it, should just be razed.
Totally agree.
His obsession with gold is a bit over the top. The oval office has more gold-plated shit than my jewelry box.
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There should never be a building built next to the White House on the taxpayers dollars for a building they will never get to enter.
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I believe it was Swalwell who gave the Dems running in 2028 an ultimatum that they must vow to raze the ballroom if they want the party's nomination. That will play interestingly to the swing voters. The tribalists will be as dug in as ever, but that goes without saying. A clever opponent with a well run campaign could turn that against them as profligate waste. If I had to guess, the nominee won't actually be running on that, and the ballroom will never be razed. Renamed/renovated, yes.
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There should never be a building built next to the White House on the taxpayers dollars for a building they will never get to enter.
There should never be a building built next to the White House on the taxpayers dollars for a building they will never get to enter.
Tell that to Teddy Roosevelt, and Harry Truman.
At least they didn't install bowling alleys, swimming pools and basketball courts.
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I looked up the history of those. More than I knew.
The original pool was installed by FDR, who, understandably, did his exercise in a pool. Nixon got rid of it. The current press room is over that original pool.
Ford, who liked to swim, put in an outdoor pool.
As for the bowling alley, it was a birthday gift for Truman. He didn’t bowl, so mostly White House staff used it. Eisenhower moved it across the street to the EOB. The current situation room sits in part of what was the bowling lanes.
Nixon loved to bowl so he put in a single lane beneath the north portico driveway.
Re basketball court - it started with tennis courts put in by Teddy Roosevelt. George HW Bush then added a basketball half court on the same spot while keeping the tennis courts. Obama then added a second hoop and added markings, so the existing court could be used for tennis or full-court basketball.
The pools and bowling alleys were paid for by private donations. The national park service paid the modest cost of GHWB’s basketball court. ChatGPT and Claude both say that Obama’s expansion of the court, also very modest, was privately funded as well, with Claude suggesting the Obama’s themselves might have paid for it.
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