In his return to the Oval Office, U.S. President Donald Trump has implemented major changes to the government, including restrictions on progressive literature and performances. Enforcing his own philosophies through non-political endeavors, Trump’s stifling of artistic expression hinders intellectual and creative freedom by cutting citizens off from various important themes.
On Feb. 12, Trump was elected chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He previously fired several members of the Center’s Board of Trustees who “do not share [his] vision for a golden age in arts and culture,” pledging to end “anti-American” productions such as drag productions under the guise of protecting children. However, certain performances he critiqued have in-place age restrictions, managing his concerns.
Trump’s corrupt intentions are clear through his blatant disregard for compromise, as he censors free and individualistic expression — a vital part of the “American Dream.” He has frequently panned “woke” shows based on secondhand reports, despite admitting in an interview with C-SPAN that he’s never seen a show at the Kennedy Center. Trump’s goal is not to revitalize the arts, but to force creativity to conform to his dated and prejudiced worldview.
Judging creative works based on one ideology limits free expression. Art should connect with all individuals, and media should contribute to a nuanced understanding of society. A consequent lack of unique perspectives induces a lack of independent thought and compassion for others, debilitating American humanity.
Beyond the Kennedy Center, Trump’s conservative plans encourage literary constraints through the enforcement of book bans On Feb. 13, Pentagon schools for military families suspended all library books for one week to inspect those “potentially related to gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology topics.” Censoring such books dismantles a crucial source of information for individuals’ understanding of their identities. Governmental discrimination hurts authors telling honest stories and minority groups who lose representation in literature.
Some argue that the standards used to disavow conservative censorship allow Trump to advocate his own ideas. However, the potentially harmful books that agree with his views remain untouched; for example, The Origins of Woke by Richard Hanania, described as “a Trojan horse for white supremacy” by The Atlantic, decries liberal ideas as “intellectually bankrupt” and trivializes concerns about racism. Instead of free speech, this double standard promotes nationwide bias and intolerant thinking.
If Trump controls the creative works available in the United States, he controls Americans’ ability to understand human nature, rights, and history. It’s not for any powerful figure to dictate what people think — the messages that people use to build their ideas should be determined by the individual.
