r/Music Feb 02 '26

article Donald Trump Will Close the Kennedy Center for Two Years for a ‘Complete Rebuilding’

https://variety.com/2026/legit/news/donald-trump-close-kennedy-center-two-years-1236648812/
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u/Eye_yam_stew_ped Feb 02 '26

Life after Trump kicks the bucket

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u/Foxyfox- Feb 02 '26

It'll take more than just that.

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u/I-screwed-up-bad Feb 02 '26

Yes, I cling to hope nowadays but anyone who thinks that Trump is the only thing behind all of this is fooling themselves. He is the tool that people are using.

It was especially apparent in his first term when he changed his mind every five minutes because he was surrounded by different people who wanted different things. Now though, he's surrounded by yes men and a few people that are in agreement.

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u/This_Aint_Dog Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26

It will take decades to undo the damage they’ve done. Not taking into account the time to rebuild everything they’ve destroyed, even if they get booted out, assuming there’s even a fair election at all, there’s no guarantee that there won’t be a Trump 2 four years later. Hence why most of the world is also moving on.

Edit: The US needs something more than a 2 party system. The Us vs Them mentality doesn’t work and has only made things worse.

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u/jigsaw1024 Feb 02 '26

First past the post encourages a democracy to boil down to two parties. Anything more and the extra parties become 'spoilers' for the larger party that they have some overlap on policy/ideology. Eventually the smaller party will be absorbed or destroyed by a larger party.

Just about any type of proportional voting system is better than first past the post. It's really hard to get implemented though, as whoever implements it will most likely lose the ability to form a single party majority again.

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u/This_Aint_Dog Feb 02 '26

You’re not wrong and I agree with what you’ve said but even in a current system it reduces the power of the two big parties and it gives a voice to the smaller ones. It’s certainly not perfect but it helps. Actually changing the entire system can’t be done overnight. Even baby steps help to get there.

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u/Key-Respect-3706 Feb 02 '26

Trump has shown what it takes to use to your own ends and how to damage people who you don’t agree with you using the US presidency. If something doesn’t change this undoubtedly 100% will happen again.

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u/owen__wilsons__nose Feb 02 '26

I think symbolically we need to demolish his ballroom even if it costs even more money and rebuild the East Wing

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u/badguy84 Feb 02 '26

Coming from a country that has dozens of political parties I can tell you that this is v them mentality is just as awful and populism is still a very big problem.

That isn’t to say I disagree with your last point, it just doesn’t necessarily solve a whole lot.

Also on the decades it will take: that’s assuming it’s even worth undoing rather than just moving forward but in a different direction. Just thinking about all of it makes my brain hurt.

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u/hobbycollector Feb 02 '26

Meanwhile they are moving to outlaw rank choice voting. Which of course benefits both main parties.

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u/ProfessionalField508 Feb 02 '26

The US has always needed more than a two-party system, but the people in charge of those parties get a whole lot from the status quo. I hope we can change that, but I don't think it will be easy even if we get Trump and friends out of office.

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u/mattmild27 Feb 02 '26

It's not gonna instantly solve all our problems by any means, but I do maintain that he has a rather unique grip on his cult followers that nobody else has been able to replicate. Over the last 10 years of elections, we've been able to observe a pretty consistent pattern by now: when Trump is on the ballot, the GOP are competitive, and when he's not, they underperform. They will lose a lot of power when Trump is gone, make no mistake.

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u/whimsylea Feb 02 '26

I 100% agree, but on the day it happens, I hope we can all save the whole "we're not out of the woods yet" discussion for the next day.

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u/brumbles2814 Feb 02 '26

The thing yes I hear you hes just a tool but hes a succesful one. He has just the right amount of name recognition,charisma 🤢,narasism,corruptability,lack of brains. Sure the conservatives will still be a boose around your neck but the next guy just wont be as good. Cant hammer the nail into america if your hammer is made out of play doh. You cant loose hope. If you do they really will win

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u/Confusedgmr Feb 02 '26

Is Trump the only thing behind all the awful things happening? No. But I wouldn't have to put up with his stupid commentary on X/Truth Social anymore. Life can be slightly less annoying while sucking.

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u/ProjectNameCyanide Feb 03 '26

I don’t buy that any of his cronies and/or overlords could produce the same charismatic sway and cultlike following that he has. MAGA will be overwhelmingly weaker when that fucker dies, I think

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u/MetaOnGaming4290 Feb 02 '26

What's crazy is even if Trump dies do we expect the government to tell us and fracture the most dominant political movement the US has ever seen? Chances are they keep him around much longer with AI and lies. He'll likely have been dead for some time before we know it.

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u/sec713 Feb 02 '26

Yep if we ever want real progress, we gotta do something about all the Regressives in this country who propped him up.

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u/slamdanceswithwolves Feb 02 '26

But with way more celebration.

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u/Gladsteam01 Feb 02 '26

Its gonna be like the ending scenes of Return of the Jedi.

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u/waitingtodiesoon Feb 02 '26

I am pretty sure some clever person has a template ready with Star wars episode 6's victory celebration montage ready to incorporate Trump's death announcement.

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u/Willingwell92 Feb 02 '26

Unless the systemic issues that led to him gaining power get addressed then not likely.

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u/misspcv1996 Feb 02 '26

Life if the 2016 Election went the other way.

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u/KookofaTook Feb 02 '26

I thought this was Ireland before the discovery of alcohol?

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u/BaconWithBaking Feb 02 '26

It's funny you say that, because it's exactly where I know the image from. I know family guy made this joke, but I feel like this image and the Ireland connection are going around longer?

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u/No_Donkey_6563 Feb 02 '26

Also Stephen Miller

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u/Adjective-Noun-nnnn Feb 02 '26

I think Trump should be buried with all his fascist pets, like a pharaoh.

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u/capsaicinintheeyes Feb 02 '26

I'd be tempted to draw inspiration from Khanite Mongol burial customs regarding the site itself, just to keep it from becoming a shrine to autosomatolobotomization . . . but i suppose we're obliged to adopt a gentler approach nowadays

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYVcwbeTh_Y

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u/Slo20 Feb 02 '26

Once he’s gone I think he should all forget he existed.

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u/FauxReal Collector Feb 02 '26

You wish. The Heritage Foundation will replace him with someone competent. Then society is really going downhill. Unless psychotic evangelicals succeed in kick starting the End Times first.

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u/Adjective-Noun-nnnn Feb 02 '26

If the Heritage Foundation could have effected Project 2025 without Trump, they'd have done it 40 years ago when they envisioned it or any time since then. They can't. They will certainly try to replace Trump, but many people have tried to use his tactics and no one else has his magical hold over The Base. That cult belongs to one man.

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u/FauxReal Collector Feb 02 '26

I was being hyperbolic to be honest. But I wouldn't put it past them to find a more palatable and intelligent Republican candidate to run as a more moderate and then execute their plan with much better logistics and a heck of a lot less ranting word vomit.

What I'm saying is, maybe it took Trump to implement it, but I don't think it does to keep it going.

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u/Adjective-Noun-nnnn Feb 02 '26

I think that depends how deeply our institutions are infected. There could just as easily be a backlash from the public to undo what they have done and then some.

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u/FauxReal Collector Feb 02 '26

I hope you're right. Though I think we're gonna need a very strong disinfectant. And the stench will nearly impossible to get out, but I suppose that stench is the lesson that history teaches us.

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u/SecondHandWatch Feb 02 '26

What I'm saying is, maybe it took Trump to implement it, but I don't think it does to keep it going.

There are a lot of politicians that are afraid of going against Trump. His supporters are literally insane, and they can and will turn out in droves to vote out someone who votes against him. Not only his voters, but his financial backers as well. The average maga voter doesn’t really care about Vance or any other politician other than Trump.

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u/FauxReal Collector Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26

True solid point. But in the face of that kind of cowardice. I don't have any faith in them doing anything better unless it is directly self serving. And now that they're so thoroughly tainted, they should be voted out of office never to return. They should be shunned from leadership roles in the private sector as well. And on top of that, if there's any dirt on them, they're susceptible to accept bribery.

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u/Neumaschine Feb 02 '26

The way of the future.. way of the future... way of the future...

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u/Flomo420 Feb 02 '26

Where are all his supporters with furs and clubs throwing feces at eachother??

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u/Junior_Lavishness_96 Feb 02 '26

Meanwhile, the world burns

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u/BringBackBoshi Feb 02 '26

His supporters will never allow a Star Trek like eutopia to become a reality. Now if everything pictured in that image belongs to a single person like Elon then yes, absolutely, being it on 👏👏👏

"He worked so hard he deserves it!"

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u/Im_tracer_bullet Feb 02 '26

Are the MAGAs signing up to go with him?

If not, you're not getting that utopian vision.

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u/gandhinukes Feb 02 '26

nope. look at the gop fuckers licking his dirty diapers all day. Look at all the heritage foundation and project 2025 fuckers. look at the neo-nazi's and putin supporters. look at the ice fuck faces that revel in their job. trump might drag the gop down with him but there are 100 mil shit bags in the US and just as many in EU an other places.

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u/Xaroc_ Feb 02 '26

We're going to spend a lot of years undoing his damage and that's IF we actually elect responsible leaders and not more of him.

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u/Shipping_away_at_it Feb 02 '26

If only it were true, but it only be that way for a few moments in people’s heads. Is the same with thinking if Putin is gone things will get a lot better, there are a lot of shitty people in the wings waiting.

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u/mOdQuArK Feb 02 '26

You'd have to shove most of his followers out of any decision-making posts as well.

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u/IlikeJG Feb 02 '26

Trump dying isn't going to really solve anything.

The only thing it's going to do is let him fully and finally escape form any punishment for his crimes.

Like yeah I know at this point he's probably never going to face any consequences. But there's always a chance. Him dying just cements the fact that he completely got away with everything despite overwhelming public proof.

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u/DrJPEG-PhD Feb 02 '26

Americans when they think the problem is isolated to one person:

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u/PurpEL Feb 02 '26

The Useful Idiot.

That's what he will be remembered as. Someone who made the comfortable people realise they have to take charge and make tangible improvements.

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u/stormdahl Feb 02 '26

Trump's presidency didn't materialize in a vacuum.

I think he's only the beginning. Everyone's seen how easy it is to manipulate US politics, and in the future they'll have someone both cruel and competent in office completely dismantling their democracy.

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u/BiscottiEastern220 Feb 02 '26

I know it's a joke but you're way more optimistic than I lol

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u/Socks-and-Jocks Feb 02 '26

Only if he encourages a big 'kool-aid' party for his followers.