MAGA fails to conquer arts and music

MAGA fails to conquer arts and music
Trump’s losses at the Kennedy Center and Freedom 250 follow Turning Point USA’s Super Bowl humiliation

By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published June 3, 2026 6:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) Even by Donald Trump‘s erratic standards, his latest meltdown is bad — and deeply concerning.

It all began with two major insults to his fragile ego. On May 27, Freedom 250, the president’s initiative for celebrating the American semiquincentennial, announced the musical lineup for the Great American State Fair. But just hours later, most of the marquee artists — including country star Martina McBride and soul legends the Commodores — had dropped out, seemingly unaware of the event’s connection to Trump when their representatives booked the gig. Then two days later, on May 29, a federal judge ruled that the president cannot rename the Kennedy Center after himself or shut it down for renovations, a move that was announced — suspiciously — after a slew of artists canceled shows at the Washington, D.C., institution to avoid the taint of the Trump name.

Being rejected over and over by musicians, artists and celebrities sent the president into a social media posting frenzy. He spent 14 hours posting over 60 times on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, mixing lengthy tirades with artificial intelligence-generated images of himself as a basketball star, a Roman soldier and George Washington’s NASCAR buddy. Trump raved that only he could turn the Kennedy Center into a “Great and Prestigious WINNER,” a sad lie considering how he ran off the performers that created its international reputation, including the Washington National Opera. He whined that the singers who pulled out of the state fair are “Third Rate .” and promised he would simply headline the event, swearing he is greater than Elvis, even “without a guitar.” After widespread mockery, Trump himself got “the yips,” which he accused the artists of having, and insisted the organizers nix the event altogether, “just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center.”

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The coping mechanisms from right-wingers on X were especially funny. “[Trump] should channel his Show Biz days and let new artists compete with patriotic songs,” one self-described “Conservative Christian blogger” wrote.

“Instead of turning it into a speech, why not invite smaller artists/bands who would be happy to celebrate America’s 250th?” someone else pleaded.

....(snip)....

With all this in mind, it’s been a real pleasure in our otherwise bleak political environment to witness the “fascists win the culture war” thesis fall apart completely over the past year. Trump failed to get Jimmy Kimmel fired, and managed to turn the late-night host into a free-speech hero instead. The Daily Wire, which was founded on the premise that Americans hated “woke” entertainment and craved right-wing alternatives, is now in financial free fall. Efforts to turn Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk into a pop culture icon after his killing last September have backfired spectacularly, with online parodists meme-ifying his image .......................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/06/03/maga-fails-to-conquer-arts-and-music/