So it’s official. Donald Trump is now the 45th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, a speech fueled with a blunt, populist tone and rehashed campaign slogans, Trump vowed to fix everything that’s wrong with the U.S. “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now,” the President said.
Not only does the phrase “American carnage” sound like the latest reality TV show, something you might watch between “Survivor” and “American Ninja Warrior,” but carnage is also an apt word for the destruction the billionaire tycoon is going to leave in his wake as the leader of the free world.
It was recently reported that Donald Trump wants to cut or eliminate multiple government programs, a plan designed to save $10.5 trillion over the next ten years. While spending cuts on climate change have been expected from the Trump presidency, the President also wants to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts.
The NEA has funded an array of artistic and cultural projects, including the popular NPR program “A Prairie Home Companion” and PBS’ “Live from Lincoln Center.” Talk about carnage. You don’t make America great again by slashing funding for the arts.
Isn’t eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts a lot like ISIS destroying ancient antiquities in Iraq and Syria? Art and culture can’t be replaced once they’re destroyed. Destruction just leaves a trail of carnage.