JFK's Grandson Jack Schlossberg Responds to Republican Push to Rename Kennedy Center Theater
In response, Schlossberg, posted a lengthy statement on Instagram accusing Trump of being "obsessed with being bigger than JFK" and that this proposal "isn't about the arts" but rather Trump's ego.
"The Trump Administration stands for freedom of oppression, not expression. He uses his awesome powers to suppress free expression and instill fear. But this isn't about the arts," Schlossberg wrote."Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK, with minimizing the many heroes of our past, as if that elevates him. It doesn't.But there's hope — art lasts forever, and no one can change what JFK and our shared history stands for."
Schlossberg has an eccentric, sometimes controversial social media presence, that is primarily focused on speaking out against the Trump administration and supporting Democratic causes, but he's often at his most earnest when defending his family's legacy.
Read Schlossberg's statement in full below:'A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces — but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers. 'JFK believed the arts made our country great and could be our most effective weapon in the fight for civil rights and against authoritarian governments around the world.He took political heat for it at the time — for inviting black artists to the White House, like the Staples Singers. For supporting black Americans like Harry Belafonte and James Baldwin on global tours to showcase the best of our society.Pablo Cassals, a symbol of resistance to fascism, played for President Kennedy. Yo-yo Ma did too… when he was just 6 years old. Robert Frost performed at JFK's inaugural. The Mona Lisa came and visited the WH.The Trump Administration stands for freedom of oppression, not expression. He uses his awesome powers to suppress free expression and instill fear. But this isn't about the arts.Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK, with minimizing the many heroes of our past, as if that elevates him. It doesn't.But there's hope — art lasts forever, and no one can change what JFK and our shared history stands for.
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