Another National Disgrace

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Donald Trump, age 79 and getting older every day, is focused on his "legacy," which he equates with having his name plastered on as many things as humanly possible.  But having Trump's "brand" associated with something does not necessarily equate with sound business practice.  Take for instance the sharp decline in ticket sales at the renowned Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, since Trump bullied his way into the position of CEO of that organization last spring and packed the board with his sycophants.  Not only have ticket sales plummeted since the Kennedy Center came under Trump's control, but audiences have also been outspoken in their condemnation of the move.

Trump placed Usha Vance, JD's wife, on the Kennedy Center Board.   When the Trumps and Vances attended opening night of "Les Miserables" at the Center in June, the first couples were booed by members of the audience.

Trump waded into America's cultural scene again last summer when he stirred a controversy with a professional football.  Trump, who was in the process of trying to restore and reinvigorate racism in America by bringing back the original Confederate names of some of our military bases, also took a notion to insult native Americans by bringing back derogatory racial appellations to some of the nation's sports teams.  He set his political sights on the Washington Commanders football team and bellicosely demanded that the team take back its original name, the Washington Redskins.  That has not happened - yet.

The Commanders are getting ready to help pay for a new stadium for their franchise that will be located in Washington, DC, on the site of the old RFK stadium when the team, then known as the Washington Redskins, played thirty years ago.  Even though most of the $3.7 billion price tag for the enormous domed stadium is being footed by the investors who own the franchise, the city of Washington, DC, is also picking up about over a fourth of the total cost.  Trump is claiming to be very involved in that project by helping with approvals and permits.

Last week, Trump presidential mouthpiece Karoline Leavitt made it known that Trump would like to have his name placed on the structure because he feels that he was instrumental in making it happen.  The team of investors who actually own the football club apparently own corporate naming rights to the new stadium.  But the city owns the land on which the stadium is being built and will be the actual owner of the new stadium, leasing it back to the investor group.  Therefore the city of Washington, DC, may likely become involved in any naming controversy which Trump is able to instigate.

The looming controversy over a narcissistic politician wanting his name on everything within sight is not the overriding issue.  Names go up, names come down.  Nixon was quick to eliminate the name "Cape Kennedy" from the space program and replace it with the original "Cape Canaveral."  What is more concerning is the ease and glibness in which these changes to the signage of our cultural landscape are being made.  Trump will live to see his name spread far and wide in a ssurge of glorification that he engineered himself, and that will represent who we are as a people until the next raging narcissist  pulls down Trump' name and replaces it with his own.

In the end we may be seeing the names on public buildings and monuments change faster than the seasons, and we will live in a country that bears more resemblance to a Central or South American cartel fiefdom than it does to the pre-Trump United States of America.

Trump went to the Commanders - Detroit Lions football game on Sunday, and was greeted with what the newspaper, "The Guardian," referred to as "boos from large sections of the fans."  

If the Commanders get sucked into Donald Trump's demand that they aid in his self-glorification, they may find themselves wading through the swamp of declinging public interest and support in their perofrmances - in much the same way as the Kennedy Center is suffering.  The only increase in attendance they are likely to witness will be from protesters outside the gates.

From a purely business standpoint, hitching the Commanders' brand to the Trump brand seems very likely to backfire - bigly.

Just sayin' . . .