A musician who quit the Kennedy Center after Donald Trump took over as chair earlier this year issued a chilling warning about the president’s “authoritarian instinct.”
Ben Folds, the former artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, told CBS News Sunday that he’s never seen political interference in the arts at this scale.
“Never saw anything like this. This is new, and it was quite sudden,” Folds, who was also a part of the Kennedy Center’s leadership during Trump’s first term, shared. “Let’s say I get in an artist that has different views than the president. Do they feel safe being themselves? Do they feel safe saying what they believe? They’re not political shows, but you can express what you’d like to.”
Singer-songwriter Ben Folds performs in concert at Austin360 Amphitheater on September 18, 2019 in Austin, Texas. / Rick Kern/Getty Images
The musician went on to say that he suspects “it’s no longer the case” that artists will be able to express themselves at the Kennedy Center adding, “There is an instinct, an authoritarian instinct, that is true in all authoritarian times in history: Take control of the culture, take control of the arts early on.”
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In February, the president ousted the Kennedy Center’s longtime chairman, David M. Rubenstein, and placed himself in the position instead. He also fired its president of over a decade, Deborah F. Rutter, who was later replaced by Richard Grenell, Trump’s envoy for special missions.
Along with announcing sweeping renovation changes, Trump has also vouched for more conservative programming at the center, shelving recent Broadway hits like Hamilton in favor of golden oldies like Phantom of the Opera.
Since Trump was elected as chair, several artists have also resigned or cancelled performances at the Kennedy Center in protest.
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