For 13 months, President Trump has been the chairman, muse, occasional programmer, and featured artist on the John F. Kennedy Heart for the Performing Arts. His centrality—maybe much more than his identify on the constructing—helps clarify why so many acts have deserted the Washington, D.C., arts advanced. (The most up-to-datethe New York Metropolis Ballet, didn’t want to elucidate itself when it dropped a six-show run this week.)
Trump is undoubtedly on his strategy to remaking the Kennedy Heart in his picture. However his stewardship additionally imposes constraints on him, as turned clear in the course of the latest back-and-forth between the White Home and the comic Invoice Maher, who the middle mentioned will obtain this yr’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Often, another person will get to be the primary character—on this case, an individual from that prickliest of creative mediums, comedy.
My colleague Ashley Parker and I reported final week that Maher was the selection for this yr’s prize, one among comedy’s highest honors, in line with a number of individuals conversant in the choice. However inside a couple of hours, White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned in a press release: “That is faux information. Invoice Maher will NOT be getting this award.” White Home Communications Director Steven Cheung posted on X that the story was “actually FAKE NEWS.” As Ashley and I wrote, after our article was printed, the White Home known as the Kennedy Heart to clarify that Maher wouldn’t obtain the award. One Kennedy Heart staffer described a sudden change of plans.
On Thursday, the Kennedy Heart introduced that Maher is, certainly, this yr’s Twain recipient. Maher addressed the reversal final evening on his HBO present, Actual Time: “So, I used to be gonna get it after which Friday, Trump’s—each his spokespeople—come out and say, Pretend information; Invoice Maher’s by no means getting it.” He went on: “We now have reached a compromise, okay? And the compromise is, I’m going to get it, after which I’m going to offer it to him. Everyone’s blissful.”
Is all people blissful? It was a revealing monologue, suggesting why the White Home could have been reluctant to let a punchy comedian—one with out a lot reverence for the president—obtain this prize in a venue that recently would appear to have room for just one identify on the marble facade.
In some methods, the exercise on the Kennedy Heart has been enterprise as traditional since Trump took over in February 2025: orchestra concert events, Broadway excursions, free concert events for households. Nevertheless it has additionally been the setting for a sustained work of efficiency by Trump.
It started final March with some storytelling, when the president convened his loyalist board on the heart. In audio that leaked to reportershe imagined reshaping the annual Kennedy Heart Honors ceremony to go well with his preferences, and floated names resembling Sylvester Stallone and Paul Anka. At previous awards reveals, “these are radical-left lunatics which were chosen,” he mentioned. “I didn’t prefer it. I couldn’t watch it. And the host was all the time horrible.” Most years, the Kennedy Heart introduced the winners of its most prestigious prize in newspaper exclusives and a press launch. However by August, Trump had returned to the middle to disclose not solely the recipients (together with Stallone), but in addition that he had personally authorised the alternatives and would function the occasion’s emcee.
Trump’s style turned an excellent louder presence on the Kennedy Heart because the yr went on. He held a high-dollar fundraiser in the course of the opening evening of Les Miserablesa musical in line with the Trumpian aesthetic: huge, populist, and a product of the ’80s. He televised Kennedy Heart board conferences as if they had been episodes of The Apprenticeand even invoked his catchphrase at the latest one: “I believe he’d do a very good job,” Trump mentioned of the middle’s newly put in prime government, Matt Floca. “But when I don’t suppose he’ll do a very good job, I’ll say, Matt, you’re fired.” He weighed in personally on Kennedy Heart–renovation choices, posting potential design decisions (resembling marble armrests) on Reality Social and ordering the gold-hued exterior columns to be repainted white. On the Kennedy Heart, Trump was a mogul, impresario, and grasp builder suddenly.
The president performed his politics and prolonged his private model on the heart. He insisted on transferring FIFA’s World Cup draw to the Kennedy Heart; on the December occasion, the federation’s president bestowed Trump with a made-up award, the FIFA Peace Prize. He rallied the troops at a Republican congressional retreat there in January. Melaniaa important dud of an arrogance documentary in regards to the first woman, had its world premiere on the venue. No quantity of squinting might let the general public fake that this was nonetheless a traditional arts heart identified for drawing bipartisan crowds.
On the Kennedy Heart Honors in December, Trump held court docket on the crimson carpet and in the course of the ceremony; it was one other alternative to say his dominance over the establishment. Talking to reporters, he joked that he may nominate himself in 2027. Onstage, he deserted the host’s creed of placing an viewers comfortable. “So many individuals I do know on this viewers—some good, some unhealthy,” Trump mentioned. “Some I actually love and respect. Some I really hate. However they’re having a very good time.”
For the Honors, the Kennedy Heart managed to program a night suitable with Trump’s ongoing cultural venture: The skills had been by various levels Trumpy, however none of them felt too dissonant with the occasion’s precise star attraction. A comedy present—virtually any comedy present—is a unique creature. To make a extra subservient choose resembling, say, the Fox Information late-night host Greg Gutfeld (whose identify was reportedly floated) can be virtually too heavy-handed. It will recommend that this most personalist of presidential administrations doesn’t simply demand obeisance, but in addition that it could’t take a joke.
The query of whether or not the president can take a joke has pushed a shocking variety of his controversies. Trump has a prolonged and largely venomous historical past with Maher, however the two broke bread final yr, solely to have interaction in an insult conflict final month. The previous Politically Incorrect host makes some sense for a Trump-era Twain Prize, the ceremony of which might be streamed on Netflix later this yr. The comic is as well-known for critiquing liberal pieties and “woke” tradition as he’s for poking enjoyable at these in energy, and he’ll give the president credit score on sure points.
“I’m not mad that he did this,” Maher mentioned of the momentary rescinding of his prize. “Me and the president, we’ve got a sophisticated relationship,” he famous. “Him attempting to dam me from getting it? I respect the transfer. Preserve the sport going, child, okay?” Addressing Trump immediately, he added: “You may thank me in individual for being one of many few individuals on the ‘lunatic left’ who’s glad you hit Iran and is hoping we win that one.”
Maher’s choice illustrates that Trump’s Kennedy Heart has by no means fairly been as censorious as some critics assumed. Many of the high-profile cancellations, in spite of everything, have come from artists attempting to dissociate from Trump’s self-branded marble shoebox on the Potomac. (On the similar time, the middle has shed staffers tasked with diversifying programming, and even sued one jazz artist for canceling a live performance.)
In his method, Trump respects comedians. It’s why he insults Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbertand maybe even why his Federal Communications Fee has gotten into scraps with networks over their late-night programming. An anti-elitist elite, Trump could merely crave their approbation and respect. Maher is prepared to dispense the uncommon drop of it. However I doubt that can preserve Trump protected on Maher’s huge evening.
