Barbra Streisand criticizes Trump over Kennedy Center — Rolling Stone
In Washington, US, singer Barbra Streisand criticized President Donald Trump amid a dispute surrounding the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The center’s Trump-appointed board voted to temporarily close the institution after a federal judge blocked the addition of the president’s name to the building’s facade, Rolling Stone reports.
The board’s position and the court ruling
According to the board, the temporary closure is linked to the risk of bankruptcy and a lack of funds to pay staff. The publication also notes that Trump threatened to cancel a planned $257 million renovation if his name was not placed on the building.
On Thursday, a federal judge ordered the board to provide 30 days’ notice before making any substantial physical changes to the building. The ruling concerns, in particular, Trump’s threats to demolish the center if his name does not appear on its main building.
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Streisand’s statement
Streisand, who was honored by the Kennedy Center in 2008, called the situation surrounding the institution outrageous and painful to watch. According to her, after a court order to remove Trump’s name from the facade, the president ordered the facade to be covered with a large tarp, which, she claims, remains there.
The singer also said that Trump announced the closure of the center for a major renovation, as the board characterizes it. She expressed outrage that a cultural institution had become the subject of a fight over one person’s name and his unchecked ego. Streisand stressed that the center should honor President John F. Kennedy and uphold his view of artistic achievement as a hallmark of a free society. At the end of her statement, she urged Americans to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
