Monday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Monday, February 2, 2026
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31 comments
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About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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BlueSky.
It appears that, like his casinos, Trump has put the Kennedy Center out of business.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-closing-renovations-c6dba4a46e71b0d0e48d46501195366c?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share
Ann Telnaes on the trophy wife movie
@Daryl:
Part of the public is boycotting the “Trump-Kennedy Center”. Performers, composers etc. are cancelling appearances. So of course Fatty needs to react and respond in the most childish way possible. Fringe benefit, more attention to the attention hound president.
“Two years” probably stretches out to January 2029 if Fatty lives that long.
For a government so broke that we “had” to fire a whole lot of people, there certainly seems to be enough money for tacky renovations, cheap gilded appliques, and monstrous arches.
The Kennedy Center is the memorial to President Kennedy. I’m very concerned as to what he’s planning on doing. The extremely uncomfortable looking marble armrests are probably the tip of the iceberg.
@Jen:
Donations from billionaires, intended to avoid meddling by Congress. Possibly illegal, not that this Congress has any inclination to do anything.
“DJT jpg“
Serious question: Does Trump truly, genuinely believe he won the 2020 election??
@CSK: According to Ivanka he knows he lost.
She said so in her taped deposition during the J6 investigation. So did Bill Barr. He also called the false claim “bullshit”.
@becca:
Then what is the point of him carrying on about it after six years?
Does Trump truly, genuinely believe he won the 2020 election??
If he does believe this he should resign immediately since he is in violation of the US Constitution.
@Gregory Lawrence Brown:
Yeah, I know. That’s always puzzled me, too.
@charontwo: If this were any other administration, I could easily entertain the idea that the Kennedy Center needs a physical overhaul. Of course, handled as a real project, it would have had a lead time and a public plan for any physical renovations. But this announcement reeks of misdirection and lack of planning (East Wing anyone?). I would be zero amount surprised if he suddenly tore down the existing structure and then started planning a replacement structure (again, he has some precedent for this approach).
I am only slightly buoyed that the Lincoln Memorial only recently completed some significant renovations, so should avoid his glare.
@CSK: “Trump believes” is a category error. Trump believes he should say whatever works for Trump. That, not external reality, defines his belief system.
@gVOR10:
So how does insisting he won the 2020 election work for him, especially after all this time?
He says it because there’s a group of supporters who do believe it. And he can pump them up with it.
@Jay L. Gischer:
That must be it. I can’t think of anything else.
Ann Telnaes is a national treasure!
@CSK: because the power of his positive thinking tells him so. He’s the malevolent version of Stewart Smiley.
@Joe:
Renovations, shmenovations. He’s closing the Kennedy Center because he’s ENRAGED and embarrassed that practically all the artists scheduled to perform canceled.
I guarantee the K Center will remain closed till after Trump leaves 0ffice.
@CSK: Agreed. I just hope it remains intact and doesn’t come out looking like Caesar’s Palace.
@Joe:
I think Trump will just leave it as is, in the hope that people forget.
The notion of it looking like Caesar’s Palace is revolting.
Remember the Air India 787 that crashed right after takeoff last year? Early indications were the fuel switches were set to cut-off. Various experts and knowledgeable commentators assumed one of the pilots moved them, as they have built-in safeguards that prevent accidental movement.
Well, maybe not accidental movement, but what about other defects?
Recently, one fuel switch on another Air India 787 moved uncommanded to cut-off, twice.
Since both incidents with fuel switches happened on Air India’s fleet, the reason might be something peculiar to this airline’s maintenance or procedures. Or it my be coincidence, and there’s a lethal defect in the 787’s controls.
Either way, I’d avoid flying on a 787.
Over the weekend I observed that the Kennedy Center saga would one day be written as a dark comedy. The closure years can be framed as post apocalyptic struggle for survival as everything is literally torn apart, but with black adder style insight and timing.
@CSK:
1. If he lost in ’20 he would be a loser. But he’s a winner, ergo he did not lose. (IIRC it was, of all people, Lindsey Graham who said, ‘A lot of golfers can outdrive Donald Trump, but no one can outdrive Trump’s caddy.’ I don’t golf. I saw a golf writer say cheating is fairly common, especially with business people. It’s a dominance display – I cheat and you show your subservience by accepting it.)
2. Roy Cohn taught him to never admit defeat.
3. It’s kayfabe, and you can never break kayfabe. Why? Because it would give away the whole show. (Why do I expect a pro-wrestling ring in the remodeled Kennedy Center?)
4. I saw someone make a cogent point that The Stolen Election is the new Lost Cause. It allows the MAGA to feel virtuous about their sins.
5. It pressures election officials for ’26 and ’28. If Trump doesn’t like the result you too could find yourself in court with a $500 an hour lawyer.
6. If we see a Blue Wave in ’26 or ’28 he’s teed up to claim he’s a winner and his side really won except they were cheated by illegals voting or whatever.
7. Which is also an excuse for ICE patrolling outside polling places.
NYT (gift) says Tulsi Gabbard, DNI (sic), arranged a call between Trump and the FBI agents doing the search at the Fulton County voting facilities.
On better news today, I just made my first attempt at Italian hot chocolate.
Half a liter of milk
84 grams (give or take) of sugar free mint dark chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 packets splenda
Heat the milk over low heat, don’t let it boil, add the cocoa, whisk to dissolve it, add the chopped chocolate, keep whisking until everything dissolves. Mix in the splenda and you’re done.
I also added a little cinnamon, and like half a teaspoon of the cheap brandy (or maybe “brandy”) near the end. I think a shot of Kahlúa would have been better.
I really like the mix of mint and chocolate. I think I’ll make mint chocolate ice cream a few weeks from now when climate change spring arrive (already the forecast for Saturday predicts a high of 25 C).
An in today’s The Leopard Ate my Face news: Brazilian influencer who defended US immigration crackdown arrested by ICE
Here’s the dynamite line-up for MAGA’s All-American Half-Time Show next Sunday:
Kid Rock (I kid you not.)
Brantley Gilbert
Lee Brice
Gabby Barrett
I’ve never heard of the final three, but then, I don’t follow country music.
Trump has donated land at Mar-a-Lago for storage of the nuclear waste generated at these facilities.
@CSK:
I see that “All” is continuing to have the same definition as when it was used for “All Lives Matter”.
The “exclusionary all.”
Longish (40+ minute) video on the upcoming (imminent) Artemis 2 mission.
I’m far from excited about it.
The last time NASA did a crewed fly-by of the Moon was Apollo 13, and that wasn’t on purpose.
@Gustopher:
Yep, all the entertainers are white.