BREAKING: Donald Trump gets publicly humiliated as his takeover of the renowned Kennedy Center results in a total collapse in ticket sales — with tens of thousands of seats left empty at the primary performance venues.
So much for making the center “hot” again. And of course it gets even more embarrassing…
“This downturn isn’t just about pricing or programming — it feels directly tied to the new regime’s leadership shift and the broader political climate,” one current staffer told The Washington Post. “I’ve heard from ticket buyers who say they’re choosing not to attend because of what the Kennedy Center now represents. The brand itself has become polarizing, which is unprecedented in my experience.”
43% of the once thriving center’s tickets remain unsold according to an analysis conducted by the Post on the Opera House, Concert Hall, and Eisenhower Theater from September 3rd to October 19th.
“That means that, at most, 57 percent of tickets were sold for the typical production — and some tickets may have been ‘comps,’ which are given away, often to staff members or the press. That compares with 93 percent sold or comped in fall 2024 and 80 percent in fall 2023,” write Travis M. Andrews, Jeremy B. Merrill and Shelly Tan in the Post.
Astonishingly, the Center has lost out on roughly $1 million in revenue just 45 days into show season and numerous artists have cancelled performances or outright refused to perform so long as Trump maintains his crooked iron grip over the center.
“Depressed ticket sales not only cause a shortfall in revenue; they also bode unfavorably for future fundraising revenue,” stated Michael Kaiser, former president of the Kennedy Center wrote.
The habitual lack of taste displayed by MAGA apparatchiks is also contributing to the center’s decline. With Trump ally Richard Grennell installed as interim president of the center, there has been an uptick in performances by “Christian artists” to combat the supposed trend of “woke” artistry. It’s worth pointing out that any “Christian” willing to support this cruel, fascist, murderous administration is Christian in name only.
“The vast majority of donors are ticket buyers who are anxious to enhance their relationships with the organization by making contributions in addition to paying for their tickets,“ said Kaiser. "We had 40,000 generous individual donors by the time I left the Center in 2014. Funding from these individuals formed the foundation for all we accomplished.”
The center is clearly embarrassed by its failures, as they refused "several requests” from the Post to share details on their current financial situation.
“Given the unprecedented takeover of a nonpartisan arts institution combined with the inexperience and rhetoric of the new management, I expected a decline in sales; however, it is truly shocking to see that these actions have been worse for business at the Kennedy Center than the aftermath of a global pandemic,” a former staff member told the Post.
“These numbers are likely more dire than they appear, as they don’t account for canceled productions or shows moved into smaller theaters due to weak ticket sales,“ they added.
The Kennedy Center’s descent into financial free fall renders the Republican proposal to rename it after Donald Trump and slap Melania’s name on the opera house that much more absurd.
The iron law of the universe holds true again: everything that Trump touches dies…!
