Ben Folds, best known as the frontman of Ben Folds 5, walked away from one of Washington’s top arts jobs. He blamed politics.
The musician explained why he left the National Symphony Orchestra. He pointed to Donald Trump‘s takeover of the Kennedy Center. Folds said the shift created an environment where artists could face political retaliation.
Ben Folds said political concerns made it impossible for him to continue his artistic role at the Kennedy Center
Folds served as the first artistic adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, OK! reported. He made the comments during a July 21 congressional forum. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) convened the event. The forum examined Trump’s handling of major U.S. landmarks, including the Kennedy Center, the White House East Wing, and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Folds said the orchestra brought him in to shape programming and connect artists with the ensemble. He worked to book names like Jon Batiste and Sara Bareilles. But the role changed after Trump installed his own board members and named himself chair. Supporters and critics alike tied the shake-up to Trump’s broader MAGA movement.
Folds said he could no longer protect the artists he booked. “I could not perform my job or the mission I was brought on to do, and for this reason, with great sadness, I had no choice but to resign,” he said.
He also warned that performing there now carries a political charge. “These days, if an artist agrees to perform at the Kennedy Center, they risk being seen as explicitly endorsing the Trump administration and all of its policies,” he said.
Trump has defended the move, saying the venue needed help because of financial problems. Folds disputed that. He said his programs had sold out and the institution had stood on solid ground. A judge ruled in May that the renaming of the Kennedy Center was unlawful.
The court ordered Trump’s name removed and paused a planned two-year closure. Folds said the fallout had already landed. He cited “dwindling audiences,” the Washington National Opera’s exit, and low morale inside the orchestra. “I think most of us understand that when you politicize art, you get propaganda,” he said.
TELL US, DO YOU THINK ARTISTS SHOULD PERFORM AT THE KENNEDY CENTER RIGHT NOW, OR DID BEN FOLDS MAKE THE RIGHT CALL?
