#368
By Hank Silverberg
Commentary
"Memorial-- serving to preserve remembrance / of relating to memory"
That definition comes from Merriam Webster's Dictionary, and it makes you wonder how Donald Trump's name fits on a building that stands as a MEMORIAL to President John F. Kennedy.
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| (The John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts) |
As a "memorial" it has the same status as the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial and many others in Washington, D.C.
But like most things these days, Trump has infested it with something about himself.
His handpicked board, of which he has anointed himself chairman, has violated federal law by changing the name of the Center, and it has angered the Kennedy family and many Americans.
This reaction from former Congressman Joe Kennedy was typical:
"The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says."
Please note: The White House called the vote to change the name "unanimous". But it wasn't. The vote was done on a video feed, and some members say when they tried to contest the name change, their mics were muted.
So what's the big deal? It's just the name of a building. The big deal are the tactics used to ram this through and its significance to other decisions being made every day by the Trump Administration with no room for discussion, debate or dissent.
That's just not the way you build consensus in a good government.
News You May Have Missed
White House Threatens Smithsonian Funds
One of America's most prestigious institutions is under attack again from the Trump Administration.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday that the White House is threatening to cut off funds for the Smithsonian Institution if it does not submit extensive documentation for a sweeping content review.
Earlier this year President Trump called for a purge of "improper ideology" from the museum system. It's an effort to take control of the narrative leading up to the nation's 250th anniversary this coming summer.
The Post reports that initial submission "fell short of what was requested" that included current exhibition descriptions, program files for the 250th anniversary, draft plans for upcoming shows and guidelines used in developing exhibitions.
The Smithsonian was given until January 13th to comply.
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| (Space Shuttle Discover at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Annex) |
The Smithsonian receives about 62% of its budget from the federal government in the form of congressional allocations, grants and contracts.
The Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, III sent a letter to the White House on Friday. According to The Post, Bunch said the task was very time consuming and was delayed by the government shutdown.
The focus has been on the Museum of American History, the Museum of Natural History, the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of African American History and Culture, the Museum of American Indian, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of African Art and the National Portrait Gallery.
Public Weary of Trump Economic Policy
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The Marist College Poll shows a flip since last year at this time when 56% were more optimistic for the upcoming year. As is often the case, there's a political divide in the results. Democrats (81%) and Independents (64%) have the bleak outlook for the new year, while 74% of Republicans have a positive view of the economic picture for 2026.
Overall, 63% of those polled are pessimistic about the overall direction of the nation.
And about 45% say general prices are their biggest concern right now with Housing costs the second at 18%.
Elsewhere in this poll, 54% of Americans are extremely concerned or concerned about the ability to pay for healthcare in the coming year. But again, there's a political split with 65% of Democrats and 55% of Independents worried about healthcare services, while only 37% of Republicans share that concern.
As for how President Trump is handling economic issues, only 36% approve of what he is doing, with 57% disapproving. You can read the full poll here:
https://maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/2026-economic-outlook-december-2025/
The poll was taken from December 8th through December 11, 2025 in a national survey of 1,440 adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percent.
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
This week's dumbest quote comes from Erica Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, who has taken over his Turning Point USA organization.
At the group's annual convention this past week, amidst name calling and backstabbing by a number of conservative firebrands targeting each other, Kirk said this:
"We are going to get my husband's friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible."
In doing so, she set Vance up as the primary target for both those to the right of him and those to the left of him, long before he has even talked about a presidential run. And it probably won't sit well with Donald Trump, who doesn't want the attention on anyone but himself.
(You suggestions and comments are welcome)
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