"No more lies."
- Rage Against the Machine, "Take the Power Back"
As it is currently written, the law is clear: only the name of the slain President John F. Kennedy can appear on the performing arts center in our nation's capital. In compliance with that statute, the judge ruled that Donald Trump's name must be removed from the building.
Like a toddler trying to control the narrative, the administration stalled until the threatening parent was almost at three before finally sending workers to remove the letters. The "construction tarp" they erected has covered the entrance ever since, conveniently concealing the public reminder that Trump is not a king who can act with impunity.
Not content to let the issue die, the pouting president made his next move: if he couldn't place his name on the building, he would have the letters carved directly into the marble instead. It was a semantic dodge meant to skirt the judge's ruling and make the inscription far harder to remove.
What the president cannot change is the public's reaction to his antics. After taking control of the center's governing board and installing himself as its leader, artists began refusing to perform, tour stops of traveling shows were abruptly canceled, and ticket sales plunged to historic lows.
As the administration fights in court to close public operations for two years so that its supposedly much-needed renovations can begin, it is clear that Trump's handling of the center has failed. With a disapproval rating that sits at 58% and only 32% of those polled approving of his performance, the Kennedy Center controversies have become a metaphor for Trump's entire second term.
Unable to govern successfully, Trump uses the tools of a petulant toddler: redirect, obfuscate, and lie. When a reporter asks an inconvenient question, he attacks and attempts to humiliate. He blows so much hot air that reality distorts in the haze.
And just as the Kennedy Center has become a monument to his tantrum"'driven leadership, Trump carried that same toddler"'logic onto the world stage in his war in Iran.
When he initially attacked Iran, Trump said the hostilities would last "four to five weeks." On dozens of occasions, he has declared victory or stated that the fighting was almost over. The most consequential of these was on May 1, 2026, when he formally notified Congress that hostilities with Iran had ended, eliminating the legal requirement for him to obtain authorization from the legislative branch to continue his war.
But still, the fighting continues.
Consistent with the rest of the Trump presidency, this war with Iran has been badly planned and poorly executed. There are widespread reports that we are running out of the weaponry needed to sustain the fight, leaving us vulnerable in other parts of the globe and diminishing our standing as the leader of the free world. Members of our military are the ones paying the heaviest price.
It was not surprising when reports surfaced that a crisis of declining morale was festering aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. With a record-breaking deployment of over 265 days and more than 200 days without a port call, military families are expressing concern over mental health, supply shortages, and living conditions. One report stated that a sailor went overboard and had to be rescued, an incident the administration insists was not a suicide attempt.
"not nearly long enough."
- Trump, commenting on the length of the Abraham Lincoln's deployment
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