Illustration of Trump banners outside Kennedy Center mistaken as real
- Published on March 14, 2025 at 21:03
- 3 min read
- By Bill MCCARTHY, AFP USA
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"This represents the embodiment of fascism in America," says a March 12, 2025 post on X.
The image depicts the building's white marble facade adorned with massive, red-and-yellow banners featuring Trump's name and face.
Similar posts have spread across X and other platforms, including Instagram and Threads, since Trump took control February 12 as chairman of the cultural center named for the late president John F Kennedy, an unprecedented move marking the first time an American leader had removed his predecessor's board chairman and installed himself in the role.
Trump replaced its long-serving president and appointed a new board consisting entirely of people loyal to him, vowing that the center was "not going to be woke."
A handful of artists, including musician Rhiannon Giddens and actress Issa Rae, have canceled plans to perform at the location. The smash-hit musical "Hamilton" also called off its run, with the play's producer saying Trump's changes meant "we have sadly seen decades of Kennedy Center neutrality be destroyed."
The image of imperial-style Trump flags outside the Kennedy Center is not authentic, however.
A reverse image search revealed the picture was published alongside a February 14 opinion article on the Daily Beast, a digital media site, about Trump's takeover of the venue (archived here). The piece is headlined: "Quiet Over Trump's Kennedy Center Grab Risks 'Capitulation.'"
A caption beneath the image says it is a "photo illustration" created by the Daily Beast using a photo from Getty Images.
AFP contacted the Daily Beast for comment, but no response was forthcoming.
Getty Images photos of the Kennedy Center, such as the one below from 2022, show the complex's front from similar angles (archived here).
An AFP journalist visited the center on March 13 and verified that the banners from the Daily Beast's illustration were not hanging from either side of the building.
A spokesperson for the center also confirmed in an email to AFP that the facility has at no point displayed any such banner.
AFP has debunked other misinformation about US politics here.
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