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Donald Trump Continues to Have Nothing Nice to Say About the Kennedy Center

His administration claims the institution smells like vomit. Meanwhile, current and former staffers bemoan a stressful, upsetting work environment.

Multiple current and former Kennedy Center employees, who asked to remain anonymous because of job-security concerns, characterized the day-to-day experience of working in the month since Trump’s takeover as stressful, upsetting, and often shrouded in uncertainty about which shoe may drop next. Some employees expressed discomfort with a specific email that Grenell sent to staff the morning after the Vance booing incident, which took place during a National Symphony Orchestra performance of music from Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka. TheNew York Times had previously reported that Trump planned to introduce a resolution at the board meeting that would give him extensive control over who gets selected as a Kennedy Center Honoree, a lifetime-achievement award reserved for those who have made significant achievements within the arts-and-entertainment world.

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